Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire
by Shang
Summary: Orochimaru has been defeated and now the next generation of Konoha shinobi is born. With the birth of a great treat, the young ninja will have to face many challenges. What awaits them and will they be able to face the obstacles? Read to find out.
1. The Beginning of Their Ninja Way

I know, I know… I promised myself that I won't make a new "Naruto" fanfic until I'm at least half through one of the four I'm already uploading… I can't help it, new ideas come to my head at an incredible rate and there's nothing I can do about that.

But since this is my fifth fanfic on this site and I'm still helping out a friend write his (and I'm behind with few, other stuff) I'm only gonna continue this one if its popularity will be satisfying for me. So in case you wanna know what happens next, do leave a review or something.

Now this fic is about the next generation of the Leaf shinobies (just like my "Naruto: Next Generation" only this time you'll get to see more kids of the old crew). Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke and such will be appearing from time to time, but it's the OC's (their kids and few, completely original characters) that'll play the main part here.

You'll find most of the stuff here: mostly action and drama, but quite a lot of romance and humor (those of you, who read my other fics know that by now). Also, you should treat this chappie more as an introduction where you get to met all the characters that will be important to the story. During the next you'll learn about them a bit more (but that doesn't mean the coming chapters will be boring!) and once they'll graduate, the story will truly begin.

I think that covers everything. Now, without further to do:

**THOSE WHO INHERIT THE WILL OF FIRE**

**Chapter #1: The Beginning of Their Ninja Way**

"Toramaru, wake up already or you'll miss your first day of school!" a woman around her thirties called out from the kitchen. She had short, black hair and completely white eyes. She wore a yellow overcoat with a symbol of her clan on the sleeves. Her pants were blue and she carried her hitae-ate around her neck.

"Give it a rest, mom…" said a boy around twelve years old with long, blonde hair made into dreadlocks. He also had completely white eyes and wore a black battle suit with orange armor on it. He carried two swords on his back and wore his headband on his forehead. "You know he probably won't get up before ten… that wimp will never learn…"

"Iruka, it's not nice to talk about your younger brother like that" the girl turned to the boy.

"Yeah, blockhead…" came a voice from the boy's back and a the swordsman turned around, he noticed a boy around eight years old with spiky, blonde hair and white eyes just like the other two. He wore a black and yellow suit (_A/N: like the one Naruto carries now, only that orange is replaced by yellow_) and was smiling widely. "You didn't think I'll be late on my first day, did you?" he threw his brother a smirk. "But where's dad?" he asked while he looked around the kitchen. "I thought he was going to walk me to the Academy today…"

"Something important came up and he had to go…" replied the woman with a little worried expression on her face.

"Typical…" was all the boy said as he lowered his head and sat at the table to eat his breakfast. His older brother gave him a sad look before he got back to eating.

---Later that day---

Toramaru walked into the right classroom only few minutes before the bell. Most of the seats were already taken and the students were happily chatting or playing, waiting for the teacher to arrive. As a paper-plane flew right in front of him, he sighed and settled down at the nearest seat available.

The boy that was sitting right next to him threw him a quick glare. He had sunglasses on his nose and black, afro-like hairdo. He wore a light green overcoat that hid his mouth and held his hands on the desk.

"Hi, my name is Uzumaki Toramaru…" the blonde greeted the boy and extended his right hand, yet the afro-boy just looked at it and got back to watching the blackboard. "_Tonight on Freak Show…_" thought Toramaru as he turned away from the strange boy.

"Don't mind him…" came a voice from behind and as Toramaru turned around, he noticed a boy sitting right behind him. He had spiky, brown hair, dog-like eyes and two, red, fang-like tattoos on his cheeks. He was wearing a blue shirt with metal protectors on his hands and black pants. When he talked, the white-eyed boy noticed that two of his teeth were more like fangs. What also drew attention to that persona was the fact that right next to him was a small dog with silver fur laying on the desk. "Kumo isn't the one to have a conversation with… I'm Inuzuka Garou and this…" with that he pointed at the dog. "… is Hanomaru. Nice to met you…" and then he extended his right hand.

"Uzumaki Toramaru…" replied the blonde, shaking the dog-boy's hand. "What is this guy's problem anyway? I just wanted to talk a bit…"

"Our fathers were in the same team, so I know him a bit…" responded Garou. "He's just a guy who only says as much as is needed… but if you'll be able to pass that, you'll learn that he's not so bad after all…"

"Toramaru-sama, I didn't expect that we'll land in the same class…" they both heard a female voice and as the blonde turned around (and Garou raised his head) he spotted a girl with long, black hair, clipped in a ponytail who had the same, white eyes as the boy. She wore a brown, baggy t-shirt (_A/N: hard for me to describe… lets just say it's like the one Neji used to wear_). Her pants were also black and both her hands were covered in bandages. "Is that fate?" she joked.

"Hello, Hitomi…" the blonde greeted her. "What's new?"

"Nothing special…" came a cold reply. "But I didn't really came by to chat… I just wanted to say 'hi' and now that I have… please excuse me, Toramaru-sama…" and with a slight bow, she walked away.

"Dude, I didn't know you knew chicks like that…" said Garou with a smirk as he drew the blonde's attention once more. "Who is she?"

"Hyuuga Hitomi…" replied the white-eyed boy. "And believe me, even if she does look hot, she's a real pain in the butt… practically the meanest girl I know… sure, I don't know too many, but still…"

"Get out of my way, Naraku!" they both heard a yell coming from the door and as they turned their heads in that direction, they spotted two kids standing outside the classroom.

The one that yelled was a girl with medium-length, black hair, clipped in two, short pigtails that were falling on right and left side of her head. She had black eyes and was wearing a dark blue t-shirt that seemed a bit too short as it uncovered her navel. She also wore white pants with short, trouser legs.

The boy had short hair in the same color as the girl, only gelled-up. His eyes were also black, just like the t-shirt he was wearing. His pants were the same as the girl's though. He moved aside and allowed the girl to walk into the classroom.

Once she did that, she turned around to the boy and warned: "Don't you even think about sitting next to me, got it?" and with that she walked to the far end of the class.

The boy look after her and then walked towards the front of the class. Pointing at an empty seat, he asked Toramaru: "Is this seat taken?"

"I don't think so…" replied the blonde, a bit surprised at the whole scene.

"And you said that Hitomi girl was a hag…" Garou whispered into his ear, jokingly.

"My name is Uchiha Naraku…" the rave-haired boy introduced himself. "And that 'hag' as you called her…" with that he turned to the dog ninja. "She's my twin sister, Gouka…"

"_Huh?_" Garou's eyes widen a bit. "_He heard me?_"

"Uzumaki Toramaru…" greeted him the blonde. "And that is Inuzuka Garou…" and with that he pointed at his new friend. "But since she's your sister, then what's with that attitude? And why don't you stand up to her?"

"Most likely because he's a weenie…" came a voice and as Toramaru looked in the direction it came from, he was a muscular boy with medium-length, brown hair, made into dreadlocks just like his brother's. The boy wore a black t-shirt and a brown waistcoat on that. His eyes were hazel and he wore brown, army-like pants.

The blonde just ignored the dreadlocks and looked back at Naraku, awaiting his answer. Seeing that he won't be able to avoid it, the young Uchiha decided to answer: "She's stronger then me… besides what's the point?"

"I can see why that chick bullied you in the first place…" laughed the one wearing brown.

Toramaru was ready to reply, but he stopped halfway as their teacher walked inside the classroom. He had long, black hair, clipped in a ponytail which started to get grey. His skin was a bit tanned, but the most visible thing when you looked on his face was definitely a big scar that ran across his nose. He wore a black t-shirt and a green, chuunin vest on that. He carried his hitae-ate with the Leaf symbol on his forehead.

"Greetings class…" he said once he reached the point where everyone could see him. "My name is Umino Iruka and I'll be your teacher for the next, few years. Before we go any further I'd like to know you a little better, so first I'll check the attendance… Abunage Shimiru…" but no-one answered. "Abunage Shimiru?" repeated the chuunin but still there was no response.

Just when Iruka was about to mark that the student didn't came the doors to the classroom slammed open and a boy riding a skateboard jumped inside. He had spiky, gelled-up, blonde hair and hazel eyes. Thanks to good eyes, Toramaru noticed that the boy had his left ear pierced with five, round earrings. When he took a second look he also noticed that his right eyebrow and his nose from the left side were pierced as well. The boy wore a yellow and black overcoat and an Indian-like bandana in the same colors on his forehead.

The blonde stopped right before the surprised chuunin and stepping on his board he made her flew into the air spinning and caught it right before Iruka's face.

"Sorry for being late, Iruka-sensei…" the boy bowed. "I've overslept… my name is Abunage Shimiru…"

The chuunin just sighed and motioned him to take his seat as he continued with the list: "Aburame Kumo…"

"Here…" announced the boy wearing sunglasses that sat next to Toramaru.

"_At least I got to know his name…_" the blonde thought to himself as he gave the afro-boy a disappointed look.

"Akimichi Choumaru…" Iruka went on.

"Here I am!" called out a boy that sat at the far end of the class in his breaks between eating potato chips. He was quite wide. He had spiky, brown hair and blue eyes. He wore an orange and black suit and had a big, golden shield with a butterfly painted on it put right next to him.

"Benkichi Takashi…" the list went on and Toramaru kept turning around in hope to memorize at least some of the fellow classmates. Most of them were boys, however he couldn't say that there was a lack of girls either.

"Hatake Jun…" asked Iruka, looking around.

"Present…" replied a boy with silver hair and hazel eyes. He wore a violet, shinobi outfit (_A/N: pretty much the same as Kakashi wore when he was little_) that covered his mouth. He seemed fairly short and carried a long spear on his back.

"Hisakata Gitou…" Iruka went on as he nodded.

Coughing filled the classroom as everyone turned in the direction of the boy who just raised his hand. He had long, curry, black hair, clipped in a ponytail and green eyes. His face seemed like that of a guy who didn't had much sleep in a long time. Overall the boy looked like he was sick. He was wearing a black t-shirt and a green waistcoat on that and a little baggy, green pants. Toramaru also noticed a katana with a golden handle attached to his back. "Over here…" the boy finally manage to say in a little hoarse voice.

"_He must be that cousin of Hayate that Kakashi talked about…_" Iruka gave the boy a worried look and then continued with the list: "Hyuuga Hitomi…" and so the white-eyed girl raised her hand.

"That guy sure seems like he could use a doctor, doesn't he?" joked Garou, bending over to Toramaru and Naraku. And then he heard his name being read: "Here!" he said much louder now while he stood up.

The chuunin nodded and went on: "Kagami Akai…"

With that a boy with spiky, red head and hazel eyes stood up. He wore a black t-shirt and a red waistcoat on that. His torso was also (_A/N: that rhyme was unplanned_) surrounded by a steal chain that went from his left shoulder to his right hip. He wore a little baggy, black pants and had a fingerless, black glover on his right hand. "Look no further…" he joked.

Iruka just left out a small sigh and continued: "Megane Akumo…" and at that another boy who sat just few seats to Toramaru's left raised his hand. He wore a black and dark blue overcoat and a white scarf that covered his mouth. He had medium-length, spiky, black hair and had square glasses on his nose.

"Boy, those glasses sure ruin the cool look…" joke Garou.

Iruka continued with the list and after a little while he got to another name that was familiar to him: "Nara Buryaku…" but once more there was no response.

Toramaru looked around the classroom as Iruka repeated: "Nara Buryaku!". The blonde's eyes stopped as he spotted a girl with short, red hair, decorated with a large, yellow ribbon on top of it and red eyes, wearing a white shirt in violet stripes and baggy, black pants giving an elbow to the girl that slept in the seat next to her, which instantly made the other girl to shoot up.

The other girl prove to be one with long, blonde hair, clipped in two, long pigtails that just seem to stand on both sides of her head. Her eyes were green and she was wearing a red shirt with a white waistcoat with long sleeves on it and a red, very short, skirt with high, red boots. Toramaru also spotted a large fan attached to her back and a small, golden necklace around her neck.

"Present!" she practically yelled as she looked at the chuunin a bit nervous.

"Interesting class we got here, eh?" smirked Garou. "But that redhead is kinda cute…"

Iruka only smirked: "_You can tell she's Shikamaru's daughter…_" and with that he read another name on the list: "Nayamasu Gaki…"

This time the one with dreadlocks that joked from Naraku's situation rose his hand: "Yo!"

The chuunin ignored the boy's behavior and continued with the attendance: "Nekata Akemi…" and with that a girl that was observing the flowers behind the window stood up.

She had short, green hair and her eyes were in the same color. She was wearing a brown t-shirt with a sunflower on the back and blue pants with short, trouser legs. The most unique thing about her though was her necklace, which was made out of leaves. "Present!"

The chuunin nodded and went on with the list: "Nekko Hinako…" and the moment he said so, the redhead girl that elbowed Buryaku stood up: "Over here!" she announced as a small, black cat meowed from her desk.

"Nekko?" dog ninja's eyes widen. "Just my luck…"

"What's wrong?" asked Naraku confused.

"Nekko are cat lovers…" began explaining Garou. "And my clan specializes in teaming up with dogs… our, two clans aren't in what you might call 'friendly relations'… thanks to that I have no chances with her…"

As they went on, Iruka kept checking the list and soon he reached another, familiar name: "_Well, what do you know…_" he first smiled and then asked out loud: "Rock Gai…"

"Here, ready for my spirit of youth to bloom!" yelled a boy dressed in green battle suit with bandages on both his hands. As he stood up, Toramaru noticed a long spear attached to his back. He had large eyebrows and black, bowl-like haircut.

"One weirder then the other…" chuckled Gaki as he looked at the spear carrier.

Iruka moved one and pretty soon he reached more names that he knew all too well: "Uchiha Gouka…" at this point the kunoichi with a fan on her shirt raised her hand. "Uchiha Naraku…" her twin brother stood up at that saying 'here'. "Uzumaki Toramaru…"

"Right here…" the white-eyed boy raised his hand, but didn't even bother standing up.

"_So this is Naruto's younger son?_" the chuunin thought to himself. "_The resemblance is quite easy to spot…_" and with the that he continued with the list, yet there was just one name left on it: "Shunrai…"

"Just Shunrai?" Naraku got confused. "What's her last name?"

Toramaru looked at the girl that stood up, blushing a bit. She had really, really long, blue hair that was tided at the end with the red ribbon. Her eyes were in the same color as her hair and she wore a light-blue t-shirt and black pants with short, trouser legs. Her boots were clipped, knee-high and dark blue. The white-eyed boy also noticed a bandage on her left arm.

"So I guess all of you are here today…" announced Iruka as he put away the list. "Let me tell you know what you'll be learning for the few, next years…" and he went on, but Toramaru didn't really listened. He just started at the blue-haired girl, who sat away from everyone.

"_She's acting strange…_" he thought to himself. "_And why doesn't she have a last name?_"

---Later that day---

"So, how was your first day at the Academy, Toramaru?" his mother greeted him the moment he entered the house. "Did you make any friends already?"

"I think so…" replied the boy as he sat at the table. "Is father coming for dinner?"

"I'm afraid not…" responded the kunoichi with a sad voice. "It seems that something unexpected happened and he'll have to deal with it… he probably won't be coming home today at all…"

"I see…" announced the boy as he lowered his head.

Hinata turned around and looked at her son with a sad face.

---That night---

Toramaru felt on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "_Why is it that I'm the son of the Hokage?... Sometimes I really wish for this to not be so… father, do I… really know you?_" and with that he closed his eyes.

But just then there was a knock on the door. The boy instantly sit-up and after he said 'come in' the doors opened and a man with spiky, blonde hair and sky blue eyes entered the room. He had whisker-marks on his cheeks and was dressed a black and orange outfit.

"Dad…" whispered the boy at the sight.

"Sorry that I wasn't able to go to the opening ceremony today…" the man apologized with a wide smile. "I know you were disappointed…" and as he said so he sat on the bed. "Toramaru, I know that it must be hard for you… I know that I'm rarely around… I'm not gonna make myself any excuses… when I became Hokage I accepted the fact that every single person in this village became important to me… I just want you to remember one thing though: above everyone you, your brother and your mother will always be the people that I care most about…" and with that he placed his hand on the boy's head.

"I know…" the boy managed a smile.

"My duties call me…" announced the man. "I have some important things I need to take care off, but I just wouldn't forgive myself if I haven't showed up today and tell you how proud I am of you… Toramaru, I want you to become strong… strong enough to protect people you care about… and to prove it to you, I want to give you something that I've received a long time ago…" and with that he took of a small and old necklace which the white-eyed boy didn't spot earlier. "It belonged to the First Hokage… and was given to me by the Fifth… wear it and please remember that even if I'm not around, I'm always watching you…"

"I will, dad!" announced the boy taking the necklace.

"Now go to sleep… tomorrow you'll start classes… you shouldn't fall asleep on them like I did…" and with that he walked to the door.

Toramaru put on the necklace immediately and looked at it for a while. Then he slowly rested his head on the pillow and fall asleep.

Little that the boy didn't know was the fact that the events of that day were only the beginning of his ninja way. Nor did he knew that the people he met on that day will share their fates with him. Coz in the right time, when they'll be ready, destiny will call and they'll enter the battle that will change the world of shinobi… forever.

* * *

And so the first chapter ends. Hope you enjoyed it and that you'll leave me a review once you're done.

Now, so that you won't get confused of so many OC's, here's the complete list of them all, along with the hidden meaning behind their names (I skipped Toramaru's older brother, Iruka, though). Hope this will help:

**_Abunage Shimiru_** – his last name 'abunage' can be translated as 'possibility of danger'. Since he's the fan of extreme sports I figure it might suit him… and it doesn't sound that bad. His first name 'shimiru' means 'to pierce'… he's got a lot of earrings in his body, so figure the rest out.

**_Aburame Kumo_** – as I once wrote 'aburame' means 'oil woman' and is similar to 'aburamishi' which stands for 'cockroaches'… when it comes to his first name, 'kumo' means simply 'spider'.

**_Akimichi Choumaru_** – his clan's name can be translated as 'condolence note'… his first name is created out of the word 'chou' which means 'butterfly' (from what I know all males in his clan have that word in their first name) and a suffix '-maru'… when it comes to that last one I found that it usually means 'something in full', but according to my friend's search it's also a suffix used in few, boy's names which disappears as the boys grow.

**_Hatake Jun_** – 'hatake' means simply 'field', but since he's the son of Kakashi I didn't had much choice there. His first name, 'jun', can be translated as 'genius' or 'excellent' which is somewhat an allusion to his skills.

**_Hisakata Gitou_** – 'hisakata' can be translated as 'moon'… since he's related to Hayate (not too much, but still) who used 'Dance of the Crescent Moon' I thought it might be a good clans name. His first name, gitou, means ceremonial sword… since he's a sword user I figure that name would be perfect for him.

**_Hyuuga Hitomi_** – I have never found any meaning behind her clans name, however her name, Hitomi, can be translated as 'eye pupil' (which I figure can be an allusion to her bloodline limit).

**_Inuzuka Garou_** – when it comes to his last name 'inu' means 'dog'. I had a lot of thinking with his first name but finally I've decided to go with 'garou' which means 'hungry wolf'.

**_Kagami Akai_** – 'kagami' means 'mirror' and 'akai' is one of the words for 'red' (this relates to his hair color).

**_Megane Akumo_** – his last name means 'glasses'… the word seemed cool to me and it's not such a bad last name, so that's how he got it. When it comes to his first name, if you replace the 'o' with another 'u' you get 'akumu' which means 'nightmare'… why I called him that you'll have to find out for yourselves.

**_Nara Buryaku_** – her last name have sense only with her father's name ('shika' means 'deer' and Nara is a place in Japan where deer bows for snacks). Her first name means strategy or military tactics… since she's the daughter of Shikamaru I figure she'd inherit some brains after him (plus, Temari is not dumb either).

**_Nayamasu Gaki_** – his last name means 'to torment'… he is a bully, so it fits perfectly. When it comes to his first name means 'brat' or 'kids' so mixing both his first and last name you get 'to torment kids'…

**_Nekata Akemi_** – her last name translates as 'root', while Akemi means 'bright and beautiful'

**_Nekko Hinako_** – her last name, written with a single 'k' means 'cat'… since her clan is thought to be a feline equivalent of the Inuzuka, I figure it'll be perfect. Her first name has roots in the word 'hina' which can be translated as 'chick' (she was thought to be attractive). I added '–ko' coz Hina itself sounded pretty bad to me… besides, if you'd replace 'h' with an 'm' you get Minako which means 'beautiful child'.

**_Rock Gai_** – I'm not sure if 'rock' has any meaning in English (when it comes to his father I'm positive it was a parody of Bruce Lee). I gave him the name Gai to underline the great respect Lee have for his sensei.

**_Uchiha Gouka_** – even though most of you probably know it already, 'uchiha' is translated as 'fan' which is also the twin's clan symbol. Her first name can be translated in many ways and it was used in many of them: the most obvious is 'hell fire' since her clan specializes in fire jutsus. The other translation is 'effects of karma'… since she's so mean to her brother she's collecting a lot of bad karma (I just couldn't help myself with this one). Third is 'wealthy and powerful family'… she is of the Uchiha clan after all. The final and not that obvious meaning is 'gorgeous'… she is an attractive girl above her lame inside.

**_Uchiha Naraku_** – as I wrote above, 'uchiha' means 'fan'. Naraku on the other hand can be translated as 'hell', which is thought to be a rather warm place. Since Uchiha clan specializes in fire jutsu, I figure it'll fit… plus I like the name itself.

**_Uzumaki Toramaru_** – his last name, 'uzumaki' means 'whirlpool'… the first name is the combination of the word 'tora' which means 'tiger' and a suffix '-maru'… which I explained above.

**_Shunrai_** – her name means simply 'spring thunder'.

And this is really the end. Thanks for stopping by and reading this. Hope you liked it and that you'll leave me a review once you're done.

Take care and hopefully till the next time.


	2. The Freaks and the Furious

Sorry it took me like forever to update… I had a major author's block on this one… I managed to get through it, but I'm still not totally happy about how this chapter turned out. But I hope you'll like it at least as much as the previous one.

Before going any further, I think I'll give you the pairing of the original crew so you won't get confused who's kid is who's… also, don't worry about the many characters in the clans, I'll tell you right now that they'll play a minor part in the story (the most important are current eight-year-old's). So, here it is:

**Naruto x Hinata:** Iruka (boy, 13 years old), Toramaru (boy, 8 years old)

**Sasuke x Sakura:** Reiko (boy, 14 years old), Momoiro (girl, 11 years old), Gouka (girl, twin of Naraku, 8 years old), Naraku (boy, twin of Gouka, 8 years old), Homura (girl, 6 years old)

**Kiba x OC:** Tsume (girl, 13 years old), Garou (boy, 8 years old), Hanone (boy, 5 years old)

**Shino x OC:** Kumo (boy, 8 years old)

**Shikamaru x Temari:** Buryaku (girl, 8 years old), Shikaru (boy, 4 years old)

**Chouji x Ino:** Choumaru (boy, 8 years old)

**Lee x Tenten:** Gai (boy, 8 years old), Ibuki (girl, 2 years old)

**Neji x OC:** Hashira (boy, 10 years old), Hitomi (girl, 8 years old)

**Kakashi x Anko:** Jun (boy, 8 years old)

Well, not too much action in this one, but the next one should have lots of that, so if you'll still be interested, review and I'll continue writing this fic.

Now, without further to do, hope you'll enjoy this:

**THOSE WHO INHERIT THE WILL OF FIRE**

**Chapter #2: The Freaks and the Furious**

**_Title Page:_** Shunrai is balancing on the rail smiling, in a dress and a hangbag on her shoulder, above the with a lighthouse in the background and Toramaru's head is sticking from the surface of the water with goggles on as he stares at the kunoichi with a tiny blush on his cheeks

"Come on, Garou, get a move on!" yelled Toramaru as he stood in front of the Inuzuka estate. "We're already behind and we still have to pick up Naraku at his place!" it was their third week of the Academy and Toramaru, Garou and Naraku manage to become pretty good friends during that time. They did most of the things together and quickly got the opinion of troublemakers as both Garou and Toramaru loved to pull pranks on everybody. The young Uchiha didn't find it too funny, but decided that his friends could use at least one person who thinks clearly, so every time he joined them anyways.

Finally the young Inuzuka jumped out the window with Hanomaru holding tight to his head and landed right before the blonde with a sandwich still in his mouth. "Ofey, I'm fedy to go (Okay, I'm ready to go)" he said without letting go of his breakfast.

And so the two of them jumped from roof to roof, heading towards the Uchiha estate. As they reached the gate, they almost bumped into Gouka who was just leaving the house. Naraku's twin sister gave them a cold, uncaring glare and turned to look at the house.

A moment later her brother ran out to the yard and headed in their direction, earning a comment from his sister: "Naraku, your bodyguards are here…"

The boy just ignored her and walked to his friends. After exchanging greeting they all headed to the Academy. They still had some time, so there was a possibility they'll make it on time. However they didn't took one thing under consideration:

"Where's the hurry, shrimps?" asked Gaki as he stood right in Toramaru's way. The blonde was barely able to stop in order to avoid crushing into the bully. The four, other boys that stood behind Gaki laughed and crossed their arms.

"Unlike you, Gaki, we prefer not to skip classes… too often" replied Garou and Hanomaru barked loudly on his head, but soon started wincing quietly and hid deeper in his master's hair.

"Is there a problem?" asked Iruka, who just appeared next to them.

"Of course not" assured Gaki. "We're just playing around…" and with those words he turned to the three boys with a smirk on his face. "You know we wouldn't want to break any, Academy rules, Iruka-sensei…"

"Then get to class" said the chuunin with a little ordering tone. "The classes are about to start…" and hearing that all the young ninjas headed to the classroom. "_You can tell he's a troublemaker…_" sighed the scar-face. "_But I can't do much about that…_"

The history class that day was pretty boring to Toramaru, especially compared to last week's subject, when Iruka told them about founding of Konoha. Garou, as usual, slept it over, getting slightly elbowed by Naraku from time to time, in order to warn him that he's snoring too loud.

The white-eye boy looked at Kumo, who was sitting right next to him. The Aburame heir barely moved, which wasn't a big surprise. Toramaru's eyes did widen at the sight of a small spider walking on the boy's face and then disappearing behind his overcoat. "_He just keeps getting weirder and weirder…_" the blonde shook it of and then turned to the far end of the class, where the girl named Shunrai sat, as usual, away from other students. "_Not much is changing…_"

Finally launch break came and Toramaru, along with Garou and Naraku occupied their favorite spot, which was the roof of a nearby flower shop. Choumaru joined them, since the shop was run by his mother anyways. The three friends looked with eyes widen as the chubby ninja kept picking more sandwiches out of his bag, along with few rice balls and sushi.

"Are you seriously gonna eat all that, Chou?" asked Garou in disbelief as he gave Hanomaru another, small piece of meat and took a deep bite of his own sandwich.

"Yeah, why not?" replied the heir of Akimichi a bit surprised.

"Well, next we'll have physical exercise, so you shouldn't stuff yourself up…" reminded Naraku. "You might throw-up…"

"Have a heart, I haven't eaten anything in… four hours now…"

Toramaru just smiled under his nose and took a bite of his apple. As he chewed, he kept thinking about a thing that wouldn't leave his mind since the day he joined the Academy. Finally he decided to ask his friends about it: "Hey, guys, do any of you know something about that Shunrai girl?"

"Huh?" Garou turned to face him. "Why do you ask?" but then he smirked and winking to him started to hit him softly with his elbow: "Let me guess, you dig her…"

"No, pinhead!" yelled Toramaru, yet blushed slightly. "I mean, don't you find it strange that even though it's already been three weeks she hasn't spoken to anyone yet?"

"All I heard are probably rumors, but I can tell you, if you want…" announced Naraku, gaining all the boys attention. "Okay… well, from what I know, she's not originally from the Leaf! It's said she was found on the battlefield when she was less then one year old and got adopted by a single mother… however she died about a year ago and so she's living all by herself… if all that is true, I guess that might also explain why she has no last name…"

"That's rather sad…" stated Choumaru as he stopped eating his sushi halfway.

"_So she doesn't feel any attachment to Konoha…_" Toramaru thought to himself as he looked at the sky. "_That's also why others don't approach her: since she's not a leaf-nin, they don't feel like they can trust her..._"

During the physical exercise Iruka had some important business to take care of, so he allowed the kids to do whatever they desired. The girls decided to play volleyball, which gave Garou a dumb idea to peek on them, however Toramaru quickly convince him not to, reminding about Hitomi's Byakugan. "She'd spot you the moment you get close…" he said.

The girls quickly divided themselves into two teams: first was Hitomi and Akemi, the other was Gouka with Hinako. Buryaku, as usual, decided to skip the exercise and in stead fell asleep under a nearby tree.

"Okay, so who's in for some dodge ball?" purposed Gai, which didn't surprised too many people, since he usual picked games that required good, physical conditions. No-one was surprised that Gaki and his gang joined in also immediately either… after all, that was a good way to give someone a bruise or two.

Shimiru decided to go skating somewhere near the schoolyard and neither Kumo nor Akumo had much of determination to play anything.

"Then… how about… soccer?" suggested Gitou between the coughs, as usual.

"Not a bad idea, but we'd have an odd number…" announced Akai as he looked around.

It was then that Toramaru noticed Shunrai sitting on a branch and looking at the sky. The blonde walked over to her and asked out loud, so that everyone heard him: "You wanna play with us?" The girl gave him a surprised glare, but said nothing, so the white-eye boy continued: "The number of players in teams won't be equal, so we need one more player anyways and since you're not playing volleyball with the girls I figure you could join us…"

"What is he doing?" Jun whispered to Akai, looking at Toramaru. "Doesn't he know?"

"No thanks…" Shunrai finally replied as she got up and walk back to the Academy.

"Boy, she's a weirdo…" announced Jun as he walked over to the son of Hokage who was observing the blue-haired girl entering the Academy. "Let's just play… Toramaru, are you still on?"

"You know what guys, start off without me…" replied the white-eyed boy. "At least the teams will have equal numbers…" and with that he walk towards the Academy as well.

"Told you he digs her…" joked Garou as he whispered into Naraku's ear.

----------

Shunrai was propping herself on the rail and observed the sky from the Academy roof when Toramaru found her. He walked over to her and propped on the rail as well, turning his gaze to the clouds, yet he said nothing.

"Why did you follow me her?" she finally asked after a long silence.

"And why did you just ran off when I asked you to play with us?" the blonde replied with a question. The young kunoichi kept quiet, so Toramaru continued: "Is that true what Naraku told me? That you're not from the Leaf?" the girl only nodded, after a moment of hesitation. "So I figure you're afraid of being judged just by that… I can understand your fear towards people, but you know, finding emptiness and having no-one to fill it is one of the worst pains I know…"

"What do you mean?" asked the girl puzzled.

"I can somewhat relate to your situation…" responded the white-eye boy. "With my father being the Hokage, he's rarely at home… there are time I don't see him for days… my mother is the head of the strongest clan in Konoha, so she has duties as well… and my brother recently become jounin, so he's out on missions all the time… even though I have a lot of people in the family, most of the time when I come back, my home is empty, just like yours…"

Shunrai lowered her head and turn away. Toramaru gave her a glare and then, taking his eyes of her, he continued: "But I have friends now… sure, Garou is loud and can be extremely annoying and Naraku is so stiff that joking around with him is a real pain…" he joked and the kunoichi couldn't help but smile a bit. "… but they fulfill the emptiness that my family unwillingly creates… sure, the more you open up, the bigger are the chances that you'll get hurt, but if you won't take the risk you may end-up not trusting anyone at all… and being alone is the worst hell imaginable… my father told me that…" and with that he walked away, leaving Shunrai alone on the roof.

-----Later that day-----

"Well, this day turned out long…" yawned Buryaku as she headed to the exit. "Akemi, where's your bag? Aren't you going home?" she asked her friend the moment she noticed the green-haired kunoichi wannabe was carrying a small shuttle and a watering can.

"I want to working in the Academy garden a bit…" replied the other girl smiling. "Sorry, but I won't be going back with you this time… hope you don't mind…"

"Working in the garden that's not even your own?" the lazy girl's eyebrow went up. "How troublesome… but whatever, have fun…" and with that she raised her hand as a 'goodbye' and went on her way, leaving Akemi by herself.

The green-haired girl watched as her friend disappeared behind the Academy gates and then headed back to the garden. Singing under her nose she started to plant the flowers and water the bushes around.

"Hanomaru, get back here!' she suddenly heard a loud yell and before she knew it, Garou's pup jumped into the garden, followed by his master. The canine instantly hid under the nearby bushes as the dog ninja entered the garden. "Hanomaru, I don't have time to play 'hide and seek' with you! I wanna go home! Come on, Toramaru and Naraku already left and we're probably the only ones here…" just then he noticed Akemi sitting on the ground and planting another flower. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

"I'm just taking care of this place…" replied the green-haired girl with a smile.

"Taking care of the Academy gardens?" Garou was a bit surprised and then noticed his pet 'marking' his territory. "AH! Hanomaru, stop that! You want Iruka-sensei to put me in detention because of you again!"

Akemi just stared at the dog ninja and giggled at the sight.

"Okay, I see…" announced Garou after he talked with Akemi for a while. "So you just like gardening and since your family doesn't have a garden you asked Iruka-sensei to let you take care of this one… but why do you stay so late after school? I mean, it's almost lunchtime…"

"I know, but I really want to finish what I've started and I still have five flowers to plant…" replied the green-haired girl as she started digging another hole.

The dog ninja just stared at her for a while and then got back to his feet, walked over to her and kneeled next to the young kunoichi: "Then let me help you…" he purposed with a smile. "That way you'll finish faster… but don't expect me to be any, big help, the only holes Hanomaru and I ever dug were for his bones…" and hearing that Akemi gave him another shuttle, smiling widely.

They just finished planting the last of the flowers when Hanomaru started barking loudly at the entrance to the garden. A second later Gaki, along with his gang, entered with a smirk on his face: "Well, look at that, hydrant boy is planting weeds… what for, so you can 'mark' them later on?" he then laughed at his own joke and his followers soon followed (_A/N: somehow this line sounds really bad_).

"What do you want, Gaki?" asked Garou, giving him an angry look.

"Hey, we just came here, coz our ball flew in here through the window…" replied the bully. "As soon as we find it, we're gone… so we'll just search the bushes…" and with that his gang started to go through the plants, stumping on every flower that was in their way.

Akemi covered her mouth as she hold back her tears. All the effects of her work that she put in those plants was getting crushed in an instant. Garou threw a quick look at her and then, standing back to his feet, he called out: "I'll only warn you once: get out of this place…"

"Or what, dog boy?" asked Gaki with a smirk.

Without a second thought, Garou crouched down after performing a quick set of hand seals: "Ninpou: Hikayaku no Jutsu!" and as his claws and fangs grew a little longer, he charged towards the bully, ready to ram him.

As Garou crashed into Gaki, his eyes widen seeing that he only made the bully take a single step back: "So much for the famous technique of the Inuzuka clan…" smirked Gaki as he landed a powerful blow on the dog ninja, that made his opponent crash hard against the ground. "You were fast, but I am strong…"

"Just shut up!" yelled Garou as he bounce of the ground by using his right hand and spinning wildly came right at the bully with a call: "Tsuuga!"

Gaki instantly covered his head with his hands, yet couldn't help but yell in pain as Garou's attack reached him. He fell backwards with blood coming from his lips. The dog ninja on the other hand landed safely few meters in front of him.

However, before he could make another move, he heard Hanomaru whine and before he knew it, he received a powerful kick in the head from one of Gaki's followers. Instantly the rest of the gang found themselves near the dog ninja and started to kick him until Gaki came closer.

"You damn dog breath…" he said, lifting Garou up by the collar with one hand. "Who the hell do you think you are, trying to fight me? I could use my special technique on you, but then again, why waste it on someone that weak? In stead I'll make you remember that freaks like you have no right to go against me!" and with that he gave a powerful punch into the dog boy's stomach, making him left out air.

Akemi started horrified as the brown-haired bully landed punch after punch on the young Inuzuka, even after the boy lost consciousness.

-----The next day-----

"I'm terribly sorry, Garou-kun…" Akemi kept apologizing to the dog ninja the next day when he showed up with small bandages on his face and around his arms. "If I only…"

"It's not your fault…" replied the young Inuzuka shortly as the two of them were standing in the hallway along with Naraku and Toramaru. "I told you that sort of things happen… it can't be helped that you tripped and accidentally pushed me off the stairs…" at hearing that the green-haired girl gave him a puzzled look, but decided not to say a word.

"Well, you seem to have few broken ribs, but except that you only got few cuts and bruises…" announced Toramaru after examinating his friend with his Byakugan. "You should fully recover in few days, if you won't push yourself… it is surprising that you got all that just from falling from the stairs…"

"Falling from the stairs?" repeated Hinako, who accidentally heard their discussion. "What are you trying to pull, Garou? Why don't you tell them that you got beaten by Gaki and his friends? You Inuzuka pride doesn't allow that?" she asked a bit pissed, however Toramaru couldn't tell what was the reason she was so upset with. "Fighting on your own against five people, did you really expected to win? How dumb can you be?"

Naraku and Toramaru just exchanged their glares.

-----Later that day-----

"Toramaru-sama, how could you act so recklessly?" Hitomi almost yelled at the white-eyed boy and the Uchiha prodigy, who were sitting in their desks with black eyes and few bruises where and there. "Did you really expect that if the two of you challenged Gaki and his gang you'll be able to defeat them? You were outnumbered!"

"That's why I asked Akemi not to tell you how I really got my injuries…" sighed Garou, who sat just a row back. "There was really no need for you guys to do that…"

"Hey, we're friends, aren't we?" replied Toramaru smiling. "We have to stick together in any situation… besides, next time all three of us will fight and we'll kick Gaki's butt!"

"Yeah…" nodded Naraku. "Plus, it doesn't hurt that much…" he said as pain shoot through his stomach and he clenched his teeth to hold a yell of pain.

"LIAR!" yelled Hitomi as she stormed to the back of the class, leaving three boy grinning.

"Well, the little 'peril eyes' does have a point…" announce Shimiru, who was sitting, or more like laying, next to them with his feet on the desk. "You know Gaki is one of the tops of the class, right? Most likely he can take all you guys by himself…"

Shunrai just stared at the three, injured boys from the corner of the class and lowered her head. Akumo noticed that and glared at the blue-haired kunoichi for a moment before returning to stare at the blackboard.

-----Later that day-----

"Well, lets get the hell outta here!" yelled Toramaru as he raised his hand to the sky. "Tonight my mother promised to make me some real ramen and I don't want to miss it for the world! You guys can tag along as well, but don't you dare eat more then one bowl!"

"You sure are lively for someone who got his butt kicked badly just few hours ago…" noticed Naraku sweat dropping.

"Uhm…" all three heard a voice from behind and they turned around to see Shunrai standing in front of them with her head lowered. "I… I was thinking that… uhm… maybe… I mean… if it's not a problem, then… well…"

The boys just exchanged glares before smiling: "You are you coming or what?" asked Toramaru out loud. "If we won't hurry, the food may get cold and if that happens, there's gonna be blood!"

"Mostly yours, coz your wounds will open if you keep bouncing up and down like that!" yelled Naraku as he gave his friend a smack on the head.

Shunrai only smiled at the sight and walked over to were the three were standing. Soon after all of them headed to Uzumaki clan household.

* * *

And that's that for the time being. Hope you liked it and that you'll leave a review with your opinion.

The jutsu encyclopedia isn't really needed this time, since all the techniques used in this chapter are directly from the manga (and anime), so I'll limit myself to just give you a translation of them this time:

_Ninpou: Hikayaku no Jutsu_ (Ninja Art: Animal Imitation Skill)

_Tsuuga_ (Piercing Fang)

Before finishing, I'd like to make an announcement: next time (if there will be next time that is) I'll start placing character profiles in every chapter. If you want any, particular of the OC's to be describe, let me know and I'll place his or hers profile ASAP.

With that said, best wishes and till the next update, hopefully.


	3. Lack of Talent

Yeah, I know, I haven't updated this in a long while… but it doesn't seem like this fic of mine is all that popular, so I concentrated on other. You might say that this chapter is the last try, coz if the popularity of it won't be satisfying for me, I'll put it on hold for much longer.

To those who reviewed the previous chapter: thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

This chappie might seem a bit similar to some events that occurred in the manga… well, I do admit that when I read it over, it really is, but this chapter was NEEDED for the later parts of the story (plus it helps with Naraku's development). Uchiha fans should be happy, since this one kinda concentrates on the twins. Plus with the events that are shown in this one, hints to the main plot will appear, so…

Anyways, I believe that's all I had to say, so without further to do, here's the newest chapter of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire":

**Chapter #3: Lack of Talent**

**_Title Page:_** Naraku is hanging upside down from the tree branch with his foot caught in a trap and below him Gouka is propping her back on that tree with her arms crossed

Garou took a big bite on his sandwich as Hanomaru chewed on a sausage. The two of them sat on the Academy rooftop along with Naraku, Toramaru and Shunrai. It's already been three months since the blue-haired girl started to hang around with the troublemakers and during that time she became much more cheerful then the day she entered the Academy.

But even if she did felt much more confident around her new friends, she still didn't manage to win against her shyness: she prefered to stay quiet if she wasn't asked and when she did spoke, she did it quieter then most people. And what's more, she still didn't felt too comfortable around other people then the white-eyed boy, the dog ninja and the young Uchiha.

"Man, today turned out to be a long day…" complained Garou. "Lessons with Takashi-sensei sure are boring… luckily the next one is genjutsu class and after that we're home free!"

"Genjutsu sucks…" replied Toramaru. "What's the use of it anyway?"

"Even if you say so, this skill is the most useful one to shinobi…" announced Naraku, drawing his friends attention. "It's the best way to interrogate the prisoners and it can also help you avoid battles… plus it's quite effective, since in order to break out of it, your opponent would require great chakra control…"

"You seem to know a lot about genjutsu, Naraku-kun…" noticed Shunrai shyly.

"Well, in a way, it's my clan's special skill, along with our fire jutsus…" responded the boy.

"Don't you even know the basic rules of ninjutsu, you pinhead?" they all heard a voice and as they turned in the direction it came from, they noticed Gouka walking towards them. "A shinobi shouldn't reveal his secrets to anyone… but I guess it can't be helped, you are just a loser anyway…" and with that she threw a quick glare at Toramaru, who was starting to get pissed: "I didn't came here for a chit-chat however… just wanted to remind you, Naraku, about our sparring match today. Our father wishes to see our improvements… do show up to make your shame as small as possible…" and with that she headed back.

"I sure hope you'll beat the crap out of her…" announced Garou. "That hag is really starting to work on my nerves… why does she even do that? You're siblings, right? So what if she's stronger? Why do your father allow this?"

"To be honest…" replied Naraku, while lowering his head. "I don't think he really cares…"

His friends looked at him surprised, but none of them said anything.

---Later that day---

"Okay, you guys are ready?" asked a man with medium-length, gelled-up, black hair and black eyes. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a fan symbol on its back and white pants with short, trouser legs. He wore his hitae-ate, with the Leaf symbol, on his forehead. The Uchiha twins only nodded as they stood in front of each other. "Then lets see what you can do!" said the man as he jumped out of the way.

Gouka instantly charged right at her brother with her fists ready. As the distance between them disappeared, the kunoichi launched a kick, aimed right at Naraku's head. The boy avoided the attack just barely, by bending over. Yet the female Uchiha instantly dropped her leg down, propped it against the ground and launched a knee at her twin, who this time didn't manage to dodge in time.

As Gouka's knee hit his face, Naraku's head shoot back, thus making him defenseless for a split second. That much however was just enough for his sister: instantly she rammed the boy with her elbow and as he was forced to take few steps back to keep his balance, she launched another kick in his head, which this time connected.

Naraku landed on the ground hard, breathing heavily. He looked at his sister, who stood with her arms crossed and a smile on her face: "Told you you'll never win…" she reminded him.

"Well, out of the two the result seems to be obvious…" sighed the man who slowly began to walk between the two kids. "You still have a lot to learn, Naraku…" he said to the boy, but then the kid interrupted him:

"This is not over yet!" yelled Naraku as this time he charged at his sister. The man gave him a surprised look, but get out of the way instantly.

Gouka only smiled under her nose at the sight and quickly began forming a chain of hand seals: "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" she called out and suddenly a huge fireball came out of her mouth, coming straight at Naraku.

Trying to avoid being burnt to a crisp, the boy jumped into the air, but as it turned out it was exactly what Gouka wanted. Before he even noticed she was already above him and gave him a powerful elbow in the back of his head, which send him crushing into the ground below hard.

"Man, Naraku, you really suck…" complained Gouka with a smirk on her face.

"Enough already…" ordered the man as he walked over to his son. "Gouka, call your mother, she might wanna take care of this…"

"There's no need for her to call me, Sasuke-kun…" came a voice and as the three of them looked in the direction the voice came from, they all saw a woman with long, pink hair and green eyes coming their way. She was wearing a red, sleeveless top and a black leg guard. Her forehead protector was located on the top of her head. "Just stand back, I'll treat him…" and with that she kneeled next to the boy. The next moment her hands began glowing green and the bruises Naraku just got started to disappear. "You really shouldn't make them do this, Sasuke-kun…" announced the woman without even looking at the man. "They're still only eight…"

"They'll be fine…" replied the man, Sasuke. "Especially since you're here…" and with that he bended over to give the woman a kiss on the cheek. Then he turned to his daughter with a smile: "Congratulations, Gouka. I'd never expect that you'll master Grand Fireball skill so soon… most impressive…"

Naraku just raised his head slightly and sadness appeared in his eyes as he got back to the way he was.

---The next day---

Naraku walked down the hall to join his friends, who were sitting on a staircase, chatting about something. The moment he came closer, Garou raised his head and greeted him with a question: "So, how did your sparring match with Gouka went? You kicked butt?"

The young Uchiha only lowered his head slightly and that was all the answer his friends needed. But if that wasn't enough, Gaki was just passing by, along with his gang and laughed loudly as he spotted the male twin: "Well, look at this, if it isn't the member of the famous, Uchiha clan… I heard your clan produces great shinobi… guess it was just some sort of a joke since your sister beat the shit out of you yesterday!" and with that the group walked away, laughing even louder.

"Just ignore him…" advised Toramaru as he gave a quick glare at the bully's back. "But what happened? I don't know what level is Gouka on, but I thought you could match her by now."

"I don't suppose I ever will…" replied the young Uchiha as he sat down and sighed. "She was even able to master the Grand Fireball Skill… and I'm not even close to achieving it… guess it's time for me to face the facts: I'm a loser…"

"D-don't say that, N-naraku-kun…" began Shunrai shyly. "Someday you'll m-manage to master it as well… it's only a matter of time…"

"Thanks guys, but I was there…" responded Naraku. "The gap between us is still greater then the Valley of the End…" he let out another sighed and stood up. "Let's just to, genjutsu class is about to start…"

---

Otoku Hebiru, the teacher of genjutsu class, was a chuunin with long, red hair, clipped in a ponytail and green eyes, wearing a black t-shirt and a red (_A/N: just as a note: I realize that so far all the chuunin vests were green, but don't forget that Naruto became Hokage… besides, Hebiru would look terrible with a green vest_), chuunin vest on that and a little baggy, grey pants. He held the list of students in his hand and announced: "Good job, Shimiru…"

Naruto, that stood right next to the man disappeared in the cloud of white smoke and a second later the pierced boy was standing in the exact spot where the current Hokage did: "Of course…" replied the skateboarder with a smile. "Henge is just my thing, dude…" and so he walked back to his seat next to Toramaru and Garou.

"Uchiha Naraku!" the chuunin called out and the young Uchiha slowly stood up before walking to the middle of the class. "Let's see…" the man was thinking. "How about… switching into… me" the boy nodded and performed a quick hand seal.

"Henge!" he called out and in an instantly he got covered by the cloud of white smoke. As the smoke cleared, everyone saw the perfect clone of Hebiru standing next to the real one.

"Good…" nodded the chuunin as he crossed something in his notebook. "Go back to your seat… next stop… Kagami Akai!" and as he said so the redheaded boy with a chain around his torso walked in his direction.

The last fifteen minutes of the lesson seemed like an hour for Toramaru, who always believed that genjutsu was both boring and useless. When the bell finally rang, everyone began to exit the class, but before Naraku was able to reach the door, the chuunin stopped him: "Naraku, please stay a little longer, I'd like to speak to you…"

The young Uchiha gave him a puzzled look, but stopped in his tracks and walked over to the teacher's desk. The chuunin gave him a warm smile and placed his hand on his shoulder, saying: "You're really talented in genjutsu, Naraku… from the whole class only Akumo seems to be doing better then you in that area… have you ever considers developing that area more? It seems you have some trouble with both nin and taijutsu, so I figured concentrating on the art of illusion might be a good choice for your…"

"Well…" began the boy unsure. "I really appreciate it, Hebiru-sensei, but…"

"It's about that sparring match with Gouka, is it?" asked the chuunin, making the boy gave him a surprised look. "News travel fast… and I heard Gaki talking about it in the hallway… you would like to prove yourself in front of your father, right?" Naraku only nodded. "And you think genjutsu won't be enough to defeat her?"

"She's great with taijutsu…" admitted the boy. "And she has good marks with ninjutsu too… the same goes for chakra control… I'm afraid genjutsu just won't do… and I so wish I could beat her at least once…" and with that he lowered his head.

The man looked at his student for a moment and then announced: "I think I could help you out a bit… but I must also warn you: even though this way you'll most likely be able to improve your fighting skills, it's also pretty risky…"

"What do you have in mind, Hebiru-sensei?"

"You see, Hokage-sama keeps a certain scroll within his tower…" began the chuunin. "That scroll contains the most powerful, ninjutsu techniques that were used in the Hidden Leaf… very few people can perform any of them, so if you were to master one or two, you should be able to defeat your sister in one on one fight…"

"So why is it risky?"

"All the techniques on that scroll are forbidden jutsus…" replied Hebiru. "And as such, Hokage-sama surely won't allow you to borrow that scroll… the only way to get it, is to steal it… it may sound bad, but then again, Rokudaime-sama stole the same scroll once too, so he should forgive you for borrowing it…"

Naraku's head got filled with doubts… steal from the Hokage and use forbidden jutsu against his own sister… but on the other hand it really did seemed like the best way to defeat her… what's more, he was positive that if Gouka would be given such a chance, she'd use it.

He took a deep breath and then raised his head. He looked into Hebiru's eyes and ask: "How am I suppose to get my hands on that scroll?"

---That night---

Naraku took a look outside his room. There was nobody in the hallway. All lights were turned down and judging from the noises, everyone was sleeping. He walked outside his room and quietly closed the door. After completing that, he slowly headed to the front door, trying not to make any noises.

He walked pass the kitchen and didn't even noticed that someone was taking some things out of the fridge. Gouka looked above the refrigerator's door with a small piece of ham in her mouth and saw her brother leaving the house. "_Where the hell is he going at this hour?_" she wondered and instantly decided to follow the other twin.

---

Toramaru turned to the side of his bed. He was having the most wonderful dream he could imagine: being the leader of Hidden in the Ramen Village. A huge smile appeared on his face as someone, suddenly began to poke him on the head. The blonde didn't opened his eyes at first, but the moment someone pinched his nose, he was up an atom and looking around to see who was bothering him in the middle of the night. His eyes widen to see Gouka standing right in the middle of his room.

"What are you doing here?" he almost yelled and then realized that the kunoichi was wearing her casual clothes and he was still in his pajamas. Instantly he covered himself and gave the girl a questioning look: "What do you want?"

"It's about Naraku…" she replied, not showing much emotions, but the blonde could sworn he hear a bit of worries in her voice. "That idiot stole something from the Hokage Tower… I've tried to follow him, but I lost him somewhere around here… you're his friend, so I figured you'd look for him…"

"He stole something from the Hokage Tower?" Toramaru's eyes widen. "What the hell? We must wake Garou and Shunrai! They'll help us look… if we'll find him before sunrise and return whatever he took, no-one will know something was missing…"

"Hold on a minute…" Gouka stopped him. "I told you what happened, because I figured you might wanna know, but I'm not gonna look for him… if that pinhead wants to get in trouble, then it's his choice…"

"What kind of a sister are you?" asked the blonde as he began changing into his clothes behind the door to his closet, so that the female Uchiha wouldn't peek. "He's your brother and what's more, I believe that what pushed him to do what he did was partly your fault…"

"My fault?"

"Yes, yours…" nodded the son of Hokage. "You always look down on him… you practically bully him around just like Gaki… he probably feels terrible that you get all your father's attention… he wants to prove that he is capable of being strong too… whatever he stole from the tower was most likely to help him with training…"

"So what?" replied Gouka, a little angry. "It's not my fault that he's a loser…"

"You know what, do as you wish…" Toramaru shoot back as he walked over to the window. "I'm sure Garou and Shunrai will help me look for him… I just hope your conscious will let you live if something bad happens…" and with that he jumped off and headed to the Inuzuka estate.

---

"Okay, so I'll go to the tower and try to get his scent…" announced Garou as he, Shunrai and Toramaru were now standing on a rooftop near the shy kunoichi's house, along with Gouka. "Toramaru will use his Byakugan to scan the area in hope to find him… Shunrai-chan, you and Gouka check Naraku's favorite places…"

"O-okay…" the blue-haired girl nodded with a worried expression on her face.

"Don't worry…" the white-eyed boy tried to cheer her up. "We'll find him… you'll see…"

The shy girl smiled weakly to the blonde and nodded again, this time with a bit of determination showing on her face. The female Uchiha looked at the trio and lowered her sight slightly.

"Lets go, we have to find that pinhead before sunrise…" reminded Toramaru as the young shinobi separated to look for Naraku.

---

"Dammit, why is this jutsu so hard to master?" Naraku cursed under his nose as he was breathing heavily and glared at the unrolled scroll laying under the tree. "This is basically just about the right among of chakra, so I should be able to perform it…" and with that he was about to give it another shoot, when something moved through the tree tops.

The young Uchiha looked up, just to see Toramaru jumping down from the branch and walking closer to him: "Finally I found ya…" the blonde let out the sigh of relief and then grabbed his friend by the collar, pulled him closer and yelled: "What the hell were you thinking? Why did you steal this scroll from the Hokage Tower? When my pops sees that this scroll isn't where it supposed to be, he'll flip! Have you even considered consequences?"

"Chill out…" replied Naraku as he freed himself from the white-eyed boy's grip. "Hebiru-sensei told me everything about it… and this scroll really has some awesome jutsu… if I'll master them, I'll surely beat Gouka…"

"It's not about whether you'll beat Gouka or not!" yelled the blonde. "Those jutsu were forbidden for a reason you idiot! If you're going to use them, there's no telling what might happen! Wrap that scroll and lets take it back to where it belongs!"

"No!" the young Uchiha yelled back. "You have no idea how it is! You're always the tops of the class! I'm dead last in practically everything! You have no idea what it's like to return home everyday, just to see the disappointment in your father's eyes! Sometimes… sometimes I feel like he wouldn't even care if I'd die…"

"Naraku…" began the blonde, but the other just continued:

"Gouka's a girl and yet she's better then me in almost everything… how is it that I'm so useless? As much as I hate to admit it, Gaki was right: I am a loser…"

"Don't say that!" the white-eyed boy said in an ordering tone. "If you really think like that, then you just should stop being a shinobi! You think that you'll become stronger just by sitting around and complaining? In stead of whining about how weak you are, why don't you try changing it? I know you and I can tell that you don't need that stinking scroll to become stronger! Going on short-cuts is for weaklings and you're not one! Lets get this scroll back to where it belongs… tomorrow we'll train together, all four of us… you'll get stronger…"

Naraku just looked at him as a small smile began to appear on his face. The young Uchiha lowered his head and nodded. "Thanks… Toramaru…"

The blonde smiled back and headed towards the scroll. He wrapped it up again and walked back to his friend: "Come on, lets get going… we'll still have to inform Garou and Shunrai that everything got back to normal…"

"I'm sorry, Toramaru, but I'm afraid I can't allow that…" they both heard a voice and as they looked up, they saw Hebiru standing on top of a tree branch. "My mission is pretty clear… you won't take the scroll back, because I'll be needing it… hand it over…"

* * *

And that's it for this time… hope you enjoyed it and that you'll leave me a review once you're done.

Well, the only jutsu used this time is also from the manga, so I don't suppose jutsu encyclopedia is needed, but original jutsus will appear in the next chapter, that's a promise. As for now, for those who are not aware of the Japanese names of techniques:

_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu_ (Fire Element: Grand Fireball Skill… though in one translation I also noticed that it was called 'Blaze of Glory'… the one I wrote first is the more appropriate translation though)

And now, before I finish, here's something special, a character profile of one of my OCs. From now on, I was thinking about doing it once every chapter (or once per two chappies). At first the guy that's somewhat a hero of the story, Toramaru. If you want to read about any, specific OC from this fic, do let me know and I'll place his/hers profile next (if the next chapter will appear, that it). Anyways, here's the profile of Naruto's second son:

_Name:_ Uzumaki Toramaru

_Family:_ parents: Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Hinata, he also has an older brother Iruka

_Bloodline limit:_ Byakugan

_Birth date:_ 4th of April

_Age:_ currently 8 years old

_Blood type:_ 0

_Favorite food:_ ramen (kinda obvious in this family)

_Favorite quote:_ for the love of ramen

_Favored fighting style:_ taijutsu with the use of Jyuken (Gentle Fist)

_Village:_ Konoha (Hidden Leaf… duh)

_Rank:_ still in the Academy

_Team:_ not assigned yet

_Techniques (used so far):_

_First appearance:_ 1st chapter

And that's that. Hope you liked it.

Best wishes and until next time, hopefully.


	4. Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers

**Dynamic Updatto!** Yeah, my grandma is feeling way better now and I just had this great deal of inspiration and so I'm updating ALL my fics this time around! Those of you guys, who read more then one of my fics, after reading this chapter, can go to the other fic they're reading to see 'what happened next'… and those who're reading only one are welcomed to check out my other fics, of course!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. It's good to know that there are still readers who wants to know how this fic will develop. I'm glad that you enjoyed the previous chapter and hope that you'll like this one at least as much.

Now, without further to do, I believe all that's left is to invite you for the next chapter of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire":

**THOSE WHO INHERIT THE WILL OF FIRE **

**Chapter #4: Finders – Keepers, Losers – Weepers**

**_Title Page:_** Toramaru is standing in the center of the page with his elbows propped on the two, large scrolls. To his left Garou is holding a normal scroll above the ground, making Hanomaru beg for it and to his right Naraku is drawing a straight line on the unwrapped scroll with his bleeding finger

"Hebiru-sensei, what are you talking about?" Naraku was completely confused. "What mission? And why do you even need this scroll?"

"Let's just say there's information on it that I cannot find anywhere else…" replied the chuunin simply with a smirk. "Now give it to me and I'll let you brats live… try to run away and I'll kill you in an instant… don't think that I'm just some weak chuunin who couldn't make it to the jounin level… the only reason why I stayed as the Academy teacher, was for this very moment…"

"Naraku, we can't give him that scroll!" announced Toramaru as he activated his bloodline. "I have no idea what's going on, but my father told me about this scroll. It must not get into the wrong hands and something tells me Hebiru's aren't the good ones…"

"Depends on the point of view…" responded the older shinobi with a smile. "But it seems you won't hand it over peacefully… unlucky… it'd hurt less…" and with that said he disappeared. Toramaru only managed to widen his eyes as the redhead chuunin suddenly appeared right in front of him and gave him a punch in the stomach.

In an instant the blonde collapsed to his knees, only to have his neck grabbed by the older ninja's hand. The white-eyed boy gasped for air as the grip tighten. It was then that Naraku decided to join the fight.

As the young Uchiha jumped into the air, ending the chain of hand seals and called out: "Katon: Housenka!" In an instant several, small fireball came out of his mouth, flying straight towards the chuunin.

Hebiru only smirked at the sight and jumped back, thus avoiding the attack. "You might wanna hold back, you know…" he announced still smiling as he lifted up Toramaru who was still gasping for air. "Otherwise I might even use your little friend as a shield…"

"That's dirty!" yelled Naraku, pointing a finger at the chuunin.

"In shinobi world, words like 'dirty' and 'low'… does not exist…" replied Hebiru calmly. "I thought I taught you that much… the problem here, Naraku, is that you don't get your situation at all… this is not some stupid, taijutsu exercise or one of your quarrels with Gaki and his gang… you should understand that if you'll lose this fight… I will kill you…"

Toramaru clenched his teeth. He was almost out of breath. With the last of his consciousness he began releasing chakra from his entire body. In the next moment Hebiru's eyes widen as he noticed a small sphere surrounded the blonde that began to push his hand away from the boy's neck.

"Hakke Shou Kaiten!" Hokage's son managed to call out as he suddenly began spinning, freeing himself from the chuunin's grip in the process, and blown the older ninja away, making him crush hard against a nearby tree.

Toramaru collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily, barely keeping his consciousness in place. In an instant Naraku appeared right beside him: "Are you okay?"

"Well…" began the blonde. "I'll live and that'll have to do for now… we need to think of something, coz there's no way we can beat this guy… he was our sensei, so he knows our abilities just as much as we do!"

"You always were the top of the class, Toramaru…" announced Hebiru with a smirk as he stood back up. "Mister Smarty Pants himself… you are so different from your father… I'll never understand how he became the Hokage really, but that's not really important…" and with that he bite his finger, while he reached for a scroll.

In the next second he was writing on the scroll with his own blood and right before the two boys a large shuriken appeared in the chuunin's hand. "This is something you brats were supposed to get familiar with in your third year… Fuuma Shuriken…"

The young shinobi back away a little, scared, but to their even bigger surprise, Hebiru turned around and began spinning his weapon in his hand as a small tornado came from the bushes. As the assault reached the spinning, shinobi star, it got blow back and crushed against a tree, thus revealing it was Garou.

The young Inuzuka slowly got back to his feet as his world was now spinning before his eyes. Hanomaru jumped out from the bushes right after that and began barking loudly as the redhead man started laughing.

"The famous technique of the Inuzuka…" announced the chuunin between the laughs. "You really should master it properly, before using it in the real battle, Garou!" and he burst out laughing again as the dog ninja finally regained his balance.

Just when he did so, he placed his hands and the ground and charged at the redhead at an incredible speed. The man however manage to side-step that attack easily and grabbed the boy by the back of his collar. In an instant Garou was tossed at the ground, landing hard on his back.

In the same moment however, Hebiru saw Gouka charging right at him, with her fists ready. The chuunin acted immediately bended his knees, making the young Uchiha's fist go right above his head. With a wide smirk, the redhead held up his hand and grabbed the kunoichi by the neck, forcing her against the ground.

"Who do you brats think you're fighting?" asked Hebiru a little angry. "Do you really suppose low level tricks like that will give you anything? If so then it just goes to prove you're far away from become a ninja, left alone gennin!"

"Dammit!" yelled Toramaru as he charged right at the chuunin with his Byakugan activated and ready to strike him with Jyuken. "Choke on this, Wrinkled Face!" Everything that happened after seemed only a blur.

Hebiru let go of Gouka and grabbed the blonde by the hand he intended to hit him with by the wrist. By twisting it, he made the son of Hokage yell in pain, before making him land hard on the ground, flipping as he did so.

"Toramaru-kun!" yelled Shunrai scared as she just walked out of the bushes. The Uchiha kunoichi found this as her chance however and without getting back to her feet, she aimed a kick right into the chuunin's face.

To her surprise however Hebiru just let go of his Fuuma Shuriken and grabbed her leg with his other hand. In the next second the kunoichi crushed against Toramaru as the chuunin swung them at each other, letting them free.

The man slowly grabbed his shuriken once more and got back to observing the five, young shinobi as they all gathered in the same place, with a wide smirk on his face. "One thing before I finish you off, brats…" he said simply, still smiling: "The only thing I want is that scroll and since only Toramaru and Naraku saw me, I wouldn't have to kill you guys as well… so why the hell did you show up?"

"Do you really suppose…" began Garou angrily. "That we'd just stay there s watch you killing our friends! I'd rather die along with them… then let a bastard like you get away without casing you trouble…"

"How noble…" the chuunin was still smiling. "Allow me to give you one, final lesson…" he began spinning the Fuuma Shuriken in his hand as he gave the kids an evil glare: "In shinobi world everyone dies, mostly in battles… and no matter what they fought for, their death is always meaningless and soon forgotten!" and with that he charged at the five ninja wanabies with an intend to kill them.

In that instant Shunrai began performing a set of hand seals and the moment she finished, she placed her hands on the ground, calling out: "Raiton: Denryuu no Jutsu!" Suddenly an electric charge went through the ground and hit Hebiru making him paralyzed for a split second.

That was enough time for Garou to take action however. With a wild scream: "Tsuuga!" he came spinning right at the now defenseless chuunin. As the attack reached the redhead, he only managed to call out 'ugh' as he got send flying back and crushed against the tree.

"Katon: Housenka!" Gouka called out, releasing a rain of small fireballs at Hebiru, who was only getting back to his feet. The chuunin just spun the shuriken, that was still in his hand, creating a small cyclone, which blew the fire away.

"Well, that's way better…"announced the redhead with a smile. "I see that you're not as helpless as I thought you guys were… an electric jutsu… you surprised me there, Shunrai… but that is to be expected by someone from the Kumo, I guess… how did you ever got that idea to attack me as you did?"

"Earth conducts electricity…" replied the blue-haired girl panting. "By sending a current into the ground, I can make it move almost as fast as in the air, covering bigger space at the same time… by controlling the electricity with my chakra, I made it go where I wanted, thus it didn't hit my friends…"

"I see…" nodded the chuunin. "Very cleaver indeed… I'm impressed… it's seems however that by just performing it once you lost most of your chakra and won't be any treat now… better be ready, coz I ain't taking you lightly anymore…" and with that he disappeared from their view.

In the next second Gouka received a powerful knee in the stomach, which made her gasp for air and bend over from pain. In an instant Hebiru gave her a punch in the back of her head, moving the hand that was holding the Fuuma Shuriken at Garou, so that the young Inuzuka couldn't get close enough to help the kunoichi.

As he finally realized what was going on, Toramaru aimed his opened palm in the chuunin chest, only to have it blocked by the blunt side on the Fuuma Shuriken. Before he knew it Hebiru spun around on his foot and landed a kick in the boy's torso, thus sending him flying back.

With the corner of his eye, the redhead spotted Garou charging right at him. In a fracture of a second he bended his knees and kicked the dog ninja's legs from under him. As the young Inuzuka hit the ground with his face, the chuunin smashed his back with a kick, pushing the shinobi wannabe into the ground even harder.

"_No, other way then…_" Naraku thought to himself as he performed an instant hand seal and called out: "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" and to everyone's surprise the place of one young Uchiha took fifty.

"What the…?" began Garou, before Toramaru explained: "Kage Bushin… my father told me about it… a forbidden jutsu that allows you to create clones that are real bodies, not phantoms… each bushin can do real damage, but it take a lot of chakra to perform…" and with those words sweat run down his face: "_At the current level there's no chance for Naraku to keep that many clones for longer then a minute!_"

"Here I come!" announced the young Uchiha as his clones charged straight at Hebiru from all sides. The red-haired chuunin only smirked as he got into his fighting stance.

The moment the first clone came close enough, the redhead grabbed it by the shirt and tossed it at the bushin coming from behind. As the two clones collided, they disappeared in the cloud of white smoke.

In an instant Hebiru spun on his foot and landed a kick in another bushins torso, making it fly back and hit another clone with its body, thus turning them both into smoke. The chuunin stopped spinning immediately and bending his knees a bit stretched out his hands, thus hitting two clones that came from both his right and left with an opened palm.

The next second he bended to his right and propped his right hand on the ground, thus avoiding being cut by another clones kunai. As his left hand touched the ground as well, he preformed a 'Belgian Helicopter' (_A/N: that's just the name of the move… I'm aware that there's no Belgium in "Naruto" world_), making few, other bushins disappear in the cloud of white smoke as they got hit by the red-haired man's legs.

As he landed back on his feet, Hebiru noticed three clones charging at him: one from his left, one from his right and one out front. Acting on instinct he aimed a kick in the right cheek of the clone that charged before him and lunched a punch to his left.

As his fist reached the bushin charging from his left, the clone got covered with white smoke. At the same time the clone kicked in the right cheek flew straight at the one charging from Hebiru's right and when the two collided, both vanished with the familiar 'puff' sound.

"This won't do!" announced Toramaru a little worried as he observed the fight with his Byakugan. "They didn't land a single blow yet!"

"Dammit!" cursed Garou as he feed his dog with a soldier pill. "Hanomaru, mimic me!" he yelled, bending over a little and having the pup jump onto his back. "Jujin Bushin!" the young Inuzuka called out and right before his friends surprised eyes, in stead of Hanomaru, another Garou stood on the original's back.

In the next second the two dog ninja used each other's hand to go into the spin and now two tornadoes went straight at the place where Hebiru was fighting Naraku's clones, with a wild yell: "Gatsuuga!"

As the tornadoes went through the crowd of bushins, they instantly started to disappear in the cloud of white smoke. Noticing what was coming, the redhead jumped into the air, barely avoiding a direct hit from the young Inuzuka's attack.

"Your ass is grass, you old fart!" Hebiru heard Gouka's voice coming from above him and as he looked up, he saw the young Uchiha finishing the set of hand seals as she took a deep breath: "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

Having no way to dodge, the chuunin reached for his Fuuma Shuriken and began spinning it in his hand, creating wind currents. Gouka's eyes widen as she saw her attack got blown in all directions, leaving Hebiru unharmed.

"I thought I taught you better… at your current level, that fireball of yours is easy to avoid…" announced the chuunin as he aimed the shuriken he held at the kunoichi's chest, only to see her disappear a second before her torso got pierced. "Wha…?" was all he managed to say in surprise.

As he landed on his feet again, he glance at the five, young ninja. It was then that he noticed a man standing with them with his back turned towards him. Hebiru's eyes widen as he saw a white and red fan on the back of the mysterious man's shirt.

"I hate people, who attack children…" announced Sasuke coldly, without even turning around to face the chuunin. "It goes double, when some of those children are my own…" and in that moment he just seemed to vanish before everyone's eyes, only to appear right in front of Hebiru in the next second, with his first crushing the redhead's ribs.

The chuunin slowly felt to the ground unconscious with the Sharingan user grabbing him and throwing him over his shoulder. Carrying the red-haired man, the head of the Uchiha walked over to the five kids and gave them a warm smile, saying: "Good job…"

"But…" began Gouka confused. "What are you doing here, father?"

"Naruto-sama noticed you were gone…" the man turn towards Toramaru. "So he asked me to help him look… when I woke up, you two weren't in beds either…" and with that he gave the twins an accusing look. "And now I found you guys in the forest being attacked by one of the Academy teachers and carrying the scroll with forbidden techniques with you…"

"It's all my fault…" announced Naraku bravely as he stepped forward. "Hebiru-sensei… I mean Hebiru… told me that with the help of that scroll I'll be able to surpass Gouka and I… well… I just wanted for you to praise me at least once, dad…"

Sasuke gave him a sad look and the sighed, smiling slightly: "Naruto won't be happy to know someone copied his idea…" he said. His eyes turned towards his son again as he bended his knees a little and placed his free hand on the boy's head: "And Naraku… I am proud of you… you and Gouka… you may not be equal in strength, but don't ever think that you're worse then your sister… nor should you think you're better… you're just different. And remember that no matter who you'll become… I'll always be proud of you…" and with that he stood straight again. "Toramaru, would you mind giving me that scroll? I'm sure your father would like to have it back ASAP… I trust you guys will be able to get home by yourselves… I'd take you, but this guy has to be taken care off…" saying so he point at Hebiru with his head. "See ya…" and so he was gone.

---A moment later, Hokage Tower---

"Here's the scroll…" announced Sasuke as he handed Naruto the stolen scroll. "And this is the one responsible for taking it…" with this he pointed at Hebiru, who was laying on the floor, still unconscious.

"So, even Academy teachers…" sighed the blonde as he stood up from his chair and walked to the window. "Seems that our enemies are even within our village…"

"It gets worse…" said the Sharingan user after a short silence, making the Rokudaime turn towards him with curiosity showing on his face. "He had the same tattoo on his left shoulder as the guy we captured two months ago…"

The Hokage didn't responded at first. He just stared at Hebiru for a while, before he finally announced: "Take him to Ino… maybe she'll be able to get some information from him, though I doubt that since that other guy haven't said anything at all…"

"Do you think your theory was correct?" asked Sasuke hesitantly.

"If it was…" replied the blonde with a worried face as he got back to his desk. "Konoha stands on the edge of another war…"

* * *

And so this chapter ends. Hope you enjoyed it and please leave me a review with your opinion. It'd really mean a lot and help me see that this fic is worth continuing.

Going further, it's time for the jutsu encyclopedia. All the techniques not described below are taken directly from the manga, so I didn't really see a point in describing them, so unless the jutsu was invented by me, it'll only end on translating the name of the technique into English:

_Katon: Housenka_ (Fire Element: Mythical Fire Flower)

_Raiton: Denryuu no Jutsu _(Lighting Element: Electric Current Skill) – technique used by Shunrai. Basically the user must first concentrate chakra in his hands and then, with the use of the right hand seals, release it in the form of electricity. That way, anything he touches, gets electrocuted.

_Kage Bushin no Jutsu_ (Shadow Clone Skill… but in some translations it's also called Art of Doppelganger)

_Jujin Bushin_ (Man-Beast Clone)

_Gatsuuga_ (Double Piercing Fang)

And now's the time for another character profile. I figure I'll go with Naraku this time as he's somewhat the main character of the current affair:

_Name:_ Uchiha Naraku

_Family:_ his father is the ANBU member Uchiha Sasuke and his mother is Sakura, thought to be the best medic-nin in the Leaf. He also has four siblings: older brother Reiko, three years older sister Momoiro, twin sister Gouka and younger sister Homura

_Bloodline limit:_ Sharingan

_Clan's Abilities:_ fire jutsus

_Birth date:_ 9th of October

_Age:_ currently 8 years old

_Blood type:_ AB

_Favorite food:_ none

_Favorite quote:_ none

_Favored fighting style:_ ninjutsu with the use of weapons

_Village:_ Konoha (Hidden Leaf)

_Rank:_ Academy student

_Team:_ not assigned yet

_Techniques (used so far):_ Katon: Housenka, Kage Bushin no Jutsu

_First appearance:_ 1st chapter

And this is really it. Hope you enjoyed it and that you'll leave a review once you're done.

Best wishes and until next time, hopefully.


	5. Blind Girl's Tale

Sorry it took me a little longer then a month to update… I've been having some trouble with my PC lately… to be honest, I had to start this chapter like three times… sucks. But I finally managed to do this and so I'm updating. Hope you'll be satisfied after such a long wait.

Well, most questions were about that 'war' Naruto mentioned at the end of the previous chappie… well, this probably won't make you happy, but that statement was all I meant to reveal for the time being… to find out more, you'll have to wait for the kids to finish the Academy (it won't be THAT long… their first year ends with this chapter and the other three won't take long).

To those of you, who were a little disappointed about the fact that the kids didn't manage to defeat Hebiru on their own, I can only remind you that they're still just eight and he was AT LEAST on the jounin level… but don't worry, they'll get their chance to shine yet (Academy years arc is mostly an introduction to the characters and their relationships), you just have to be patient.

And now, without further to do, I believe it's time for the next chapter:

**Chapter #5: Blind Girl's Tale**

**_Title Page:_** Hitomi is walking through the beach with sandals in her hand ad is observing the water

The day after the scroll incident turned out to be a big surprise for the heroes of last night. Toramaru had no idea how the information reached their classmates, but everyone seemed to be aware of their little adventure and battle with Hebiru.

"Hey guys, is that really true?" asked Choumaru totally excited as he jumped near them. "Did you really fought Hebiru-sensei last night? Did you guys win? What was it about?"

Naraku only took a single step backward, sweat dropping, as Shunrai lowered her head, blushing slightly. Toramaru threw Garou a quick glare and seeing him shaking, he knew perfectly what was coming…

"It's was awesome!" yelled the dog ninja excitingly. "We so kicked butt! Especially I shown off my skills! You should've seen my Tsuuga! I simply wipe the ground with him! He was practically begging me to stop, but I…" at this point he was interrupted by the white-eyed boy, who was tapping his finger on his shoulder. "Excuse me…" he said to the chubby ninja and turned around with a whisper: "What?"

"I was just wondering…" replied the blonde. "How much truth are you gonna tell him?"

"You have to bend the truth a little, to make the story more interesting…" responded Garou.

The blonde didn't reply. He just left out a loud sigh and left the two boys talking about the last night's events as he sat in the front row next to Naraku and Shunrai. The blue-haired girl giggled slightly as she observed her friend and the moment Toramaru sat in his seat, she bended over to him and announced: "Garou-kun sure is lively for someone who complained about the pain in his back only few hours ago…"

Hearing that comment the white-eyed boy laughed quietly and threw the kunoichi a wide smile making her face redden slightly once more. Just then Naraku noticed his sister coming inside the class and waved to her to gain her attention.

The female Uchiha gave him an annoyed look and walked over to her sibling with the same, emotionless face the boy knew all too well: "What are you so cheerful about? You think that things changed between us? You're still a wimp and I don't care what pops said, there's no way you're equal to me… and if you think that you are, then it just proves how stupid you are!" and with that she walked further, sitting down few rows back.

"Well, there's no doubt that we're one, big, happy family…" Naraku sighed with a sad face as he observed his twin sister walking away. "And I really thought things will be at least a bit different then before…"

"She needs time…" Toramaru assured him. "Girls just tend to be weird…" and when he said so, they both heard a loud 'ekhem' coming from behind the blonde. The white-eyed boy turned around and gave Shunrai an apologizing smile while scratching the back of his head.

As all three of them started laughing, Kumo walked in an sat right next to Naraku. All of them instantly looked in the direction of the sunglasses wearing boy and the young Uchiha even lifted his hand halfway to greet their classmate, but noticing that the heir of the Aburame only threw them a quick glare from behind his glasses and then turned them to look at the blackboard as usual, he lowered the hand again and faced his friends again: "Maybe, but would it really hurt her to at least say 'hi' or something?"

"Well, you still can consider yourself lucky…" responded Toramaru. "You have no idea how sick MY family is…" and with that he let out a sigh as he turned towards Hitomi, who only threw him a short, death glare, before returning to talk with her friends. "_So what else is new?_" the blonde thought to himself sweat dropping.

Just then they all heard Shimiru's voice, coming from the hallway: "Gain way dudes!" and in an instant the blonde boy rode on his skateboard into the classroom, smashing against Garou hard, making both of them fall to the floor.

"I figured that after such a long time practicing, Shimiru knew how to stop…" stated Naraku, sweat dropping. "But at least he managed to quiet Garou down a bit…" and with that last comment all three started laughing again.

---Later that day---

"Mom, do I really have to do this?" whined Toramaru as Hinata, dressed in a yellow kimono, decorated with blue palms all over it walking with him down the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village. She had a dark blue ribbon tied behind her back, used as a belt and the symbol of the Hyuuga clan was visible on both sleeves of her dress. "Iruka's older, he should go…"

"Your brother is currently on an A-rank mission…" replied the woman simply, but smiling warmly to him. "And your father has important, Hokage business he has to take care off… even if you think you're too young for this, you have to come with me since I won't let you stay at home by yourself…"

"But I'm gonna die of bore…" announced the blonde. "Hyuuga meetings are long and boring… and besides, you said it yourself that it's unfair for only the Main family members to participate in them…"

"Yes, I did say that…" nodded the head of the Hyuuga. "In a way that's the reason I must come to this one… because I finally managed to do what your grandfather tried to achieve all those years…" and the moment she said so, they reached the gates of the Hyuuga estate.

In an instant Toramaru noticed another pair coming that way. The man, who was about his mother's age, he recognized immediately: long, black hair, grey top with wide sleeves, dark blue pants, Konoha hitae-ate covering the forehead and completely white eyes. The man who taught him most about the gentle fist, Hyuuga Neji. But his eyes almost went out of orbits as he saw who was walking beside his uncle: it was a girl his age with long, black hair, clipped into a bun, white eyes and wearing a brown kimono with black flowers all over it and the headband located in the same place where the man had it. It was Hitomi.

"Neji-niisan, I'm glad you came…" announced Hinata, bowing slightly towards her cousin and then turning to his daughter: "And it's good to see you too, Hitomi…" and with that she smiled warmly to the young kunoichi, only to see her bow out of duty. The head of the Hyuuga's face turned sad instantly at the sight, yet she regained her posture immediately. "I thought you was going to bring Hashira…" she turned towards the man once more.

"Well, that was what I was planning…" admitted the man with a smile as he placed his hand on the girl's head. "But I figure this meeting will be more… useful to Hitomi…" and with that he turned towards the blonde. "I see you came here as well, Toramaru-sama…"

"Not by choice…" replied the boy, making Neji laugh for a moment. The Hyuuga genius calmed down after a short while and then spoke to Hinata again: "Shall we go in then? On such a day we shouldn't make the elders wait…"

"Yes, you're right…" nodded the woman and then looked at her son: "Toramaru, please show Hitomi around while your uncle and I will take care of the clan's business…" and with that the elder Hyuuga walked into the estate, leaving the two kids standing in front of each other.

For a long while none of them moved an inch nor made a sound. Finally the blonde decided to break the silence: "So, how about we go see the gardens first? There are some, interesting flowers growing there, so I figure…" but he instantly shut up as Hitomi walked pass him and through the gate with 'whatever' escaping her mouth.

The boy stood there for a moment before following his cousin: "_I knew that this whole meeting thing will suck out loud the moment I heard I was going…_" he thought to himself as he ran after the girl. "Look, it's not my fault I was born into the main family and don't think that I like how Hyuuga…"

"Save it…" Hitomi interrupted him as they reached the garden. It was a round area surrounded with high trees and thick bushes on the edges. In the middle there was a small pound with a fountain and a sandy route that circled around it and around it there were hundreds of flowers, which shown all the colors of the rainbow. Two, stone branches were placed in front of each other on two sides of the pound. "The main family always tries to find some excuses… like the fact that every member of my family is burdened with that cursed seal, by saying 'it's to protect our bloodline limit'…"

"Hey, not everyone is like that!" announced Toramaru a little ticked: "My mother never…"

"It doesn't matter… the fact is that the main family is afraid of making all Hyuuga equal, because they know the branch family is stronger and bigger in number… try saying this is not true… even an eight-year-old like me can see this…"

"Branch or main, what difference does it make?" asked the blonde. "Since when birth state whether someone is strong or not? Maybe it's true what you said, maybe it's not, why should this matter? We're family and as such we should stick together! That's why my mother…"

"Stop talking nonsense!" demanded the girl angrily. "No-one from the main family is going to allow something like that! Even if Hinata-sama truly wishes to make both families equal, do you suppose she'll manage? Some things will never change… Just like the fact that you're so naïve…"

The blonde's eye twitched as he heard that and Hitomi smiled under her nose noticing that: "You wish to deny it? It can be easily prove… fight me here and now…" and as she said so Toramaru's eyes widen: "What?"

---That time, elsewhere in Konoha---

"So, tell me…" began Garou as he swallowed more noodles. "Since when Toramaru skips on free ramen? I said it was my treat…" and with that he looked at Naraku and Shunrai who sat right next to him in the Ichiraku.

"He had some… clan business as he called it…" replied the young Uchiha putting away his bowl. "Some important, Hyuuga meeting…" with that he shrugged. "But you should be relieve, just for him you'd pay more then for the three of us…" he joked, making the blue-haired girl giggle slightly.

"I see losers are enjoying their time together…" they all heard a voice coming from behind and as their turned around, they saw Gaki and his gang standing right in front of him.

Garou's face turned into a bored one as he spoke up coldly: "Great, now it's not only in school, you have to hurt our eyes with your ugly face outside the Academy too… this is a public place so I won't ask you to leave, but neither of us have any desire to talk to you, so do leave us alone…"

"Well, since you asked so nicely…" replied the bully with a smirk. "Then no… we will talk whenever I want to… unless you wish me to beat you up like the last time…"

"Yeah, five on one, that was a fair fight…" the dog ninja shoot back with anger showing on his face. Noticing that placed her head closer to her shoulders a little nervous and Naraku instinctually moved his hand nearer his shuriken hostel.

"Kinda like you guys and Hebiru-sensei last night…" stated Gaki with an evil smirk. "Don't play the victim, you know that shinobi life got nothing to do with knighthood… you do anything you can to survive… and so I wanna check out what people who fought against a chuunin are really capable of..." and with that his face became grim: "_I will never accept that those losers can be consider stronger then me… I'm gonna prove her and now that they're just a bunch of show offs…_"

"Get lost…" replied Garou as he turned his back at the bullies and grabbed his chopsticks again, only to get pulled by the collar from behind and land on the floor with his eyes set on Gaki who was the one to pull him of his chair.

"I'm not taking 'no' as an answer… you don't have to fight back if you don't want to, but rest assure that I'm not gonna leave just because you don't feel like fighting… either way, you'll be send to the hospital today…"

In an instant Naraku lunched a kick at the bully's head and Gaki reacted immediately by throwing his fist towards the young Uchiha. But to everyone's surprise, before any of the attacks connected, Akumo appeared between them and grabbed Gaki's hand and Naraku's leg with his hands.

"Quite impulsive, aren't we?" he asked no-one in particular. "Chill out… this is not the time nor the place for something like this… and Iruka-sensei wouldn't be pleased when he'd find out you guys had a fight even if it was outside the Academy walls…"

"Stay out of this, weirdo…" demanded Gaki through clenched teeth. "This is none of your business… unless you want to get on my blacklist too…"

"I don't…" assured the glasses wearing boy. "I'm pretty sure you'll get a lot of occasions to try yourself with them in a way that won't get you in trouble, so why don't you just calm down and leave it for now?"

The bully narrowed his eyes and kept staring at Akumo for a moment before he let go of Garou's collar and headed towards the exit with his gang following him. Naraku let out a sigh of relief and Shunrai smiled slightly as she turned towards the glasses wearing boy: "Thanks you, Akumo-kun…" she said shyly. "It was nice of you…"

"Don't mention it…" came a quick response. "But you guys really should stop getting in Gaki's way… he's not a nice guy and once he'll set his eyes on you, he won't let you live…"

"Yeah, we know…" the dog ninja assured him, getting back to his seat. "Say, you wanna eat with us? We're kinda missing one person anyway…"

"No thanks…" replied Akumo after a short moment with no emotions showing on his face as always and then he left Ichiraku as well. Naraku glared after their classmate for a while before turning back to his friend: "_He's really a weird type…_"

At that time Gaki and his followers reached the end of the street. The bully looked at the wall that stretched along the street, holding back his anger. He clenched his right fist which suddenly got surrounded with chakra circling around it. In the next moment he punched the wall with it, making the brick wall go into pieces as he breathed heavily.

"Those losers…" he said, still holding back his anger. "There's no way I'm gonna let them surpass me… I won't allow anyone to surpass me! Never again… will I make that mistake, father… I'll be the strongest there is…"

---Back at the Hyuuga estate---

Hitomi lunched another attack with an opened palm, aimed at Toramaru's chest, but the blonde managed to side step the assault and grabbed the girl's hand the moment it went pass him with his left hand.

In an instant he lunched his elbow into the girl's face, but the young Hyuuga spun on her foot and in stead it was her that manage to hit the boy in the back of his head (_A/N: not with the Jyuken though_).

Toramaru let go of Hitomi's hand and bending his knees slightly, he spun around, lunching two attacks at the girl's chest (_A/N: now this sounds like he's a pervert hehe_), but the young Hyuuga managed to deflect both assaults by hitting the blonde's wrist the moment his hands came close enough, thus changing their route before they reached her.

The girl acted immediately and seeing an opening, she threw a kick, aimed at the boy's chest, but the blonde managed to block the incoming attack with his own knee, by raising it up and placing it in the way of Hitomi's leg.

Instantly Toramaru placed both his hands on the girl's leg and used it to lift his feet of the ground. The young Hyuuga was so surprised, that she didn't manage to act in time and received a powerful kick in the chest, which send her flying back a few meters before landing on her feet.

The moment her feet touched the ground, she felt to her right knee and grabbed her stomach. The blonde eyes widen as he ran towards the girl a little worried: "Hitomi, are you okay?" he asked, but the second he got near her, the young Hyuuga got back to her feet and lunched an attacked with an opened palm into his face. The boy was so shocked, he didn't even managed to make a move in order to block the assault and was send flying back a bit, landing on his back.

In an instant Hitomi appeared next to him and held her kunai near his throat. "You see?" she asked with an emotionless voice. "Once naïve will always be naïve… even, if the act like they did, people can't change… and because of that, Hyuuga won't change… by stating that 'things will be different'… were you really trying to convince me… or yourself?"

"You're wrong…" announced Toramaru calmly. "People can change…" and the second Hitomi's Byakugan noticed, the blonde's body emitted chakra, pushing the knife away from the boy's neck and as the Hokage's son rolled on the ground, the kunoichi got blown away.

Immediately Toramaru bounced off the ground by placing both his hands on the surface next to each other and pushing back at the same time. As he got back to his feet, he saw Hitomi landing safely and preparing to lunch herself at him again.

In an instant he charged at the girl and as she held out her left hand, he grabbed her. As Hitomi's eyes widen, Toramaru spun on his foot and when he had his back turned towards the kunoichi, he threw her over his shoulder, making her land hard on the ground.

Without letting her hand go, he stated: "The change may not always be visible… and maybe they can't change completely… but they can change… they learn and thus they make choices… branch or main family… everyone makes their own choices…" and with that he lowered his sight. The girl stared at him as he continued after a short while: "My father told me about a fight he once had with your own dad… Neji-san was once quite similar to you… but you know, complaining and crying never changed anything… in stead of waiting for things to change, you should do what is in your power to make the difference… just like my mother and your father are now…"

As he said so, Neji walked out of the estate and noticing some dirty on the children's clothes, he asked: "Did something happened?"

Hitomi just threw a quick glare at the blonde and then, turning back to her father, she replied: "Nothing really… just a little sparring match…" and after that she hesitated. Hyuuga genius's eyes narrowed slightly as he waited for her to continued: "Did… did you convinced them?" she finally asked.

Neji let out a sigh as he gave his daughter a little sad glare while bending his knees. Smiling warmly to her, he placed his hand on her head and announced a little quieter then before: "No… things are gonna stay the way they did for now, I'm afraid… but don't worry, neither Hinata-sama nor I will stop trying…"

"What's the point?" asked the kunoichi disappointed.

The man looked at her for a moment. His face sadden slightly, before he replied: "I know how you feel… coz when I was your age, I felt the same… but someone tough me that just sitting there and whining about it won't do change a thing…" the moment he said so, he threw Toramaru a quick glare, smiling to the boy slightly. "Our future is in our own hands… the only thing we can do, is to do what we can, to make it look the way we want it to… that's why I'll keep on trying… that's why you should do the same…" and with that he stood straight again: "Toramaru-sama, please tell Hinata-sama that I thank her for today… I believe Hitomi and I will take our leave now…" and so he bowed and headed towards the gate.

The young kunoichi stayed behind a little and throwing the blonde one, last glare, she ran after her father, with a thought flying in her mind: "_People cannot change… no matter what everyone says, I know they can't… but since that is so, I'll do what I can, to change them!_"

And so another day in Konoha ended…

* * *

And along with it, another chapter… hope you enjoyed it… next time there's a time-skip and you'll get to see the shinobi wanabies in their second years of the Academy! So tune in again next time! See ya!

No jutsu this time… but there's always character profile and this time around it'll be about one of my, personal favorite characters, Shunrai… but before that I bit of an add-on to the names from the first chapter. One of the reviewers drawn my attention that 'Hyuuga' means 'in the sun'… and after searching a little more, it turned out that he's right, so I figured some of you would like to know… thanks Brian… and now to the profile:

_Name:_ Shunrai

_Family:_ there's really no information about her family… all that's known is that she originally came from the Hidden Cloud Village, but was found on a battlefield when she was just one-year-old… a single mother from Konoha took her, but she also died, leaving the young kunoichi on her own… at this moment Hinata is the one who takes care of her by dropping at the girl's house and making her something to eat along with cleaning

_Bloodline limit:_ no information

_Clan's Abilities:_ electric jutsu

_Birth date:_ 2nd of November

_Age:_ currently 8 years old

_Blood type:_ 0

_Favorite food:_ none… she prefers meals with no meat though

_Favorite quote:_ none

_Favored fighting style:_ ninjutsu

_Village:_ Konoha (Hidden Leaf), previously Kumo (Hidden Cloud)

_Rank:_ Academy student

_Team:_ not assigned yet

_Techniques (used so far):_ Raiton: Denryuu no Jutsu (Lighting Element: Electric Current Skill)

_First appearance:_ 1st chapter

And this is it for this time. Hope you liked it and that you'll keep on reading.

Best wishes and until next time, hopefully.


	6. Paws and Claws

Yes, I know it took me a little longer to update this one. Sorry, but during this vacations there were many things which made it hard to write (including some major, author blocks). But luckily I managed to get through them (at least for now) and thus I'm submitting the newest chapter of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire" (seriously, I do need a shorter name :D).

Well, most questions from last time regarded Gaki, but I'm keeping that to myself for the time being, sorry. But thanks to everyone who reviewed.

And now, without further to do:

**Chapter #6: Paws and Claws**

**_Title page:_** Garou is laying on a bed in his room, which is full with dogs of all races

Garou walked into the classroom with a wide smile on his face, earning questioning glares from his friends. "Since when are you so happy at the start of school?" asked Naraku completely confused.

"C'mon man, this is our last year!" replied the dog ninja cheerfully. "Just few, more months and we're out of this joint! I can't wait for the moment I'll become a shinobi! I'm positive that everyone around here is just as enthusiastic as me about it!"

Toramaru was about to reply to that, but at that moment they all heard a soft snore and as they turned around, they was Buryaku sleeping in her seat, as usual. "Yeah…" responded the white-eyed boy with a tiny smirk. "We all can barely hide our excitement…" and as he said so Shunrai giggled.

"Alright everyone, please take your seats!" Iruka's voice was suddenly heard in the entire classroom and a second later the chuunin appeared in the front of the young students in the cloud of white smoke. "As some of you notice, this is your final year in the Academy, so from the very beginning every class will be a preparation for possible, graduation exam… I won't tell you what it's going to be this year, so I advice you practice at least a little… now, tomorrow I've planned a special survival training that will be meant to prepare you for team-related missions. I've divided the entire class into three-man groups… your task tomorrow will be to reach a certain spot, but in order to do so every team will have to make its way though wild parts of the area surrounding the village. I'll read the groups right now so that you'll have a whole day to know each other a little better if you still didn't managed to during those three years…"

"Heh, this should be fun…" Garou whispered to Naraku "Survival is the thing for us, right Hanomaru?" he asked his dog, which only barked quietly in agreement. "And as long as I'm not gonna be stuck with Gaki, I'm cool with it all…"

"Next team: Uzumaki Toramaru, Shunrai and Rock Gai…" and as Iruka announced it, the fuzzy-browed boy threw his hands into the sky, stating that now he'll show everyone the power of his spirit of youth. The white-eyed boy only propped his head on his hand with a sigh 'it could be worse', thus making Shunrai giggle a little once more. The chuunin made nothing of it however and just kept going: "Next team: Uchiha Naraku, Akemi Nekata and Abunage Shimiru…"

"Huh, wha… whadda I do?" the young skateboarder suddenly asked, looking around nervously. Naraku only smacked his head against his desk after observing the whole scene as the green-hair girl began explaining to their blonde teammate why his name was called out.

Iruka's eye twitched as he gave Shimiru a death glare. He got used to Buryaku sleeping through entire classes, but for some reason when the skateboarder did the same, it annoyed him. After a second he regained his calm however and continued: "Another team: Inuzuka Garou, Hisakata Gitou and… Nekko Hinako!"

And the moment the chuunin finished that sentence, Garou's jaw practically hit the floor. In an instant he laid down onto his desk, totally depressed: "I'm so screwed…" he whined quietly, but Iruka did seem to care and just continued with the list:

"Next: Nayamasu Gaki, Uchiha Gouka and Inuwashi Ryuu…"

---Later that day---

"Why are you so depressed about it?" asked Toramaru confused when they were sitting on a rooftop near the Academy, during their lunch break. "So you got Gitou on your team, big deal! He may be a walking biology weapon, but it's not like he's Gaki…"

"You don't get it…" responded Garou still depressed. "Gitou isn't a problem here… I got teamed-up with Hinako… the two of us are the last ones you should place in one team…" and noticing Naraku's raised eyebrow, he began explaining: "Look, I'm an Inuzuka and she's a Nekko… can't you remember when I told you our two clans are rivals since the beginning of Konoha?"

"Maybe that's the reason Iruka-sensei placed you on the same team?" purposed Shunrai shyly and looking down the moment her friends stared at her a little surprise. "You know…" she finally continued, much quieter then before: "Since your two clans are such great rivals, maybe Iruka-sensei thought it'd be good if you'll learn to work even with each other… after all, you can be never sure who you'll have on your team during real missions…"

"Well, you do have a point, Shunrai…" nodded Naraku as he took a bite on his sandwich. "And besides, it's not like you can do anything to change it…" he then turned towards Garou again. "Best just accept it and go along with it…"

"I guess you guys are right…" sighed the dog boy, not even noticing that Hanomaru took his sandwich and began eating it behind his master's back. "Maybe it won't be that bad…"

---The next day---

"Alright, each of the teams received a map with the finish line of today's training…" announced Iruka to the class as all the shinobi wanabies stood outside the village. "The teachers will now guide every group to their starting location and you'll have the entire day to get to the marked spot. When I'll read your name, step forward and follow the chuunin that'll stay next to me at that time to your starting point… first: Nekata Akemi, Abunage Shimiru and Uchiha Naraku!"

In a flash the blonde reached the two chuunin on his skateboard and stopped right in front of the older man. The green-haired girl soon joined him and as the trio began walking their way, Naraku followed them with his head lowered.

"Nara Buryaku, Akimichi Choumaru and Hatake Jun!" the chuunin called out another team. Jun appeared before him relatively quick, but it took the chubby boy a minute to reach the spot as he was carrying the sleeping Buryaku on his back, who slowly began drooling on his shirt. The scar-faced ninja only shook his head slightly as he observed the trio disappearing between the trees and continued with the list: "Tashi Asuka, Aburame Kumo and Imano Dakachi!"

And the moment he said so Kumo walked forward, with hands in his pockets, along with a girl with long, red hair and blue eyes and a muscular boy with short, brown hair. The trio followed 'their' chuunin to their starting point as Iruka continued: "Hyuuga Hitomi, Kagami Akai and Megane Akumo!"

The trio walked forward, each without saying a thing and even looking at one another, Before they disappeared between the trees however, the redhead boy turned around and showed everyone a victory sign, making the rest of his classmates sweat drop.

"Uchiha Gouka, Inuwashi Ryuu and Nayamasu Gaki!" with that the two bullies walked forward with a boy with gelled up, brown hair. The chuunin felt sorry for him, but couldn't do a thing and so, without a word the four disappeared in the forest. "Shunrai, Rock Gai and Uzumaki Toramaru!"

"Yes, my spirit of youth will finally bloom!" cheered Gai as he moved in front, with a lot of yahoos and yuppies. The blonde boy walked right after him, with sweat dropping from the back of his head and the blue-haired girl giggling behind him, saying "See you later to the dog boy.

"Nekko Hinako, Hisakata Gitou and Inuzuka Garou!" and with that the redhead girl stepped forward with Garou joining her soon after. The dog ninja smiled towards the kunoichi, only to see her turn away with her arms crossed. The next moment Gitou also walked out from the crowd with a lot of coughing and thus the three followed their chuunin to the place where they suppose to begin their journey.

After a while they reached their starting point, which turned out to be a small meadow just near the mountain tops. "This is the map with the marked finish line…" announced the chuunin as he held out a scroll. Garou reached out for it, but Hinako was faster and after grabbing it, she stuck out her tongue at the dog ninja, making Gitou threw glares from one to the other of his temporary teammates. "You'll have until the end of the day to reach it… I guess that's all… good luck…" and with that he was gone in the cloud of white smoke.

"Okay…" began the redhead as she unwrapped the scroll she held in her hands. "Looking at it, it'd seem that going through the mountains is the shortest way to the finish, so it'd be logical to choose that route…"

Gitou only looked over her shoulder and after a quick analyze, he stated: "When you cough choose that route… did you take cough the fact that we'll have to cough climb… into the account?" and with that he sneezed.

"But if we won't go through the mountains, we'll have to go around them and we may not manage to get to the finish on time…" she replied worriedly. Meanwhile Garou leaned over and also took a look at the scroll and once he did so, she announced:

"I too think that the mountains are the best choice in this case…" and the moment he said so, Hinako looked at him a little surprised. The sick boy only shrugged and stated that since more people wish to take that route, he'll fit in, he began walking towards the tops.

The cat girl's face expression changed from surprise into annoyance as she stared at Garou, who now smiled weakly: "What, you want me to thank you, Inuzuka? Let's just get going or we won't making before night…" and so she followed Gitou, leaving the dog ninja behind.

Garou only let out a sigh and simply went after his two, temporary teammates. After a short run they arrived at the bottom of the mountains. The route seemed to be simple: a cliff that began at the bottom and led up the mountain. As Gitou followed it with his eyes, it soon disappeared behind the 'corner'.

"I guess this is the path we should take!" announced Hinako happily, while bending over and showing the cliff to her fellow students. "This is going to be a peace of cake, right Kuroki?" and with that she looked at the small, black cat that was now hanging on her elbow.

The cat only 'meowed' in agreement and without waiting for the two boys to give their opinion, she walked the path she choose. Garou only sighed as he looked at Gitou, who just shrugged again and followed the kunoichi.

The trio slowly walked down the trail, often forced to stick to the cold, mountain walls. From time to time strong wind started blowing, only to calm down in the next instant. Regardless, the trio kept moving forward.

After a longer while Hinako finally reached the end of the trial with Gitou not far behind. The cat girl looked around in hope to spot possible way down, but she couldn't see any. Annoy a little by that, he looked back and called after Garou: "Move it, Inuzuka! There's no way down, so we'll have to climb down from here! We can't afford waiting for you forever if we are to get to the finish spot before dark!"

"You know, being at least a little bit nicer wouldn't kill you…" replied the dog ninja now ticked. "In case you've forgotten, we're on the same team!" but as the argument was about to explode, Gitou stepped between the two, with his hands raised.

"If you'll argue… cough… we'll waste… cough… even more time…" and with that he snoozed. The animal clan prodigies looked at each other for a moment and then instantly looked away with Hinako heading towards the wall she saw fit for climbing down.

As the three shinobi wanabies began their journey back to the ground, the wind blew once more, making them tighten their grip on the mountain wall. Hanomaru whined from under Garou's jacket as cold air reached his fur.

The wind kept on blowing, its power increasing rapidly. Gitou shivered slightly as the temperature around him dropped due to the cold air. Just then Hinako's grip loosen a little and the young redhead began falling down.

In an instant, acting on instinct, Gitou let go of the mountain wall as well and flew right after the kunoichi. The moment the two found themselves coming down next to each other, Hayate's cousin reached for his sword and grabbing the cat ninja, he sunk his blade deep into the nearest stone wall.

Hinako was saved, unfortunately her cat, Kuroki, could not say the same as, even though he tried to hold on with his claws to his master, the material 'broke' once Gitou made the redhead girl stop falling suddenly and the small feline flew down right into the bushes.

"Kuroki!" was all the kunoichi managed to yell as she observed her friend disappearing behind the leaves of the tree tops. Her face turned grim immediately and as her hands laid back on the stone wall, she instantly began walking down, not waiting for the two boys.

Gitou just exchanged glances with Garou, who was slowly 'catching up' to the two and both of them speed up a bit… or at least as much as the situation allowed them to. Once the three kids found themselves at the bottom of the mountain, Hinako began calling Kuroki out, but there was no response.

"Look, I know you're sorry, but that was quite a height and I…" began Garou, but the redhead instantly made him shut up as she threw him a death glare. Her eyes narrowed for a second, before she turned away from him and said to no-one in particular:

"You know that saying that cats always fall on their feet? It's actually not just some stupid fairy tale, it's true. If they're falling from a fair height, then they can use their tail to maneuver in the air and thus turn themselves to really land on their feet… it's because of the height that Kuroki might still be okay… and if there is a chance for him to be, even though slim, I will take it…" and with that she returned to calling out her pet.

"Hey, is that cat crap really true?" Garou asked Gitou in a whisper, but the swordsman only shrugged to show that he has no idea and also started to look around for the redhead girl's feline companion.

The young Inuzuka stared at them for a moment and then turned to his dog: "Hanomaru, do you think you can catch Kuroki's scent?" the pup only let out a quiet bark before jumping out of his master's jacket and starting to sniff the area.

"Who needs your help?" the kunoichi shoot at the dog ninja with an evil glare, but this time Garou kept his calm and replied in his normal voice: "Look, you wanna find your cat or not?"

The redhead kept staring at him for few moment and most likely that's how they'd stay for quit a while if it wasn't for Hanomaru, who suddenly barked loudly, gaining everyone's attention.

As the three shinobi wanabies turn towards the dog, it began sniffing the ground near him, heading towards the bushes at the same time. Garou was the first one to follow, with the other two close behind.

As they marched forward, Hinako kept observing the dog ninja, who walked right in front of her. None of the three teens said a thing and the only noises they heard were those of a forest and Hanomaru sniffing out front.

Finally the redhead girl decided to break the silence: "Inuzuka, why do you even do this? Our clans are enemies and it's not like I even like you…"

"I know…" replied Garou without even turning around to look at her. "But that doesn't change the fact that we're on the same team… and you know, even if our clans aren't too friendly with each other, it doesn't mean that we're not allowed to be friends…" and the moment he said so, Hanomaru's loud bark was heard.

As the trio looked in the direction the small dog pointed, they all saw a tiny, frightened black cat sitting on a tree branch. The feline meowed quietly as it noticed the three kids and in the next moment the kunoichi began climbing up the three to get her companion down, after yelling 'Kuroki' cheerfully.

Soon after both the cat and the cat girl were back on the ground. The redhead looked at the sky and saw the sun slowly setting behind the horizon. "I don't suppose we'll make it in time to the finish point after all…" she stated with a little sad face.

"But we still… cough… gotta get there…" announced Gitou calmly and walked forward, for the first time making the other two follow him. After a longer journey they reached the spot they were supposed get to and saw Iruka waiting from them, along with Toramaru, Shunrai and Naraku.

"Well, you guys are certainly late…" noticed the chuunin as he threw a quick glare at his watch. "Everyone else finished the test long ago… it seems…" but just then his speech was interrupted by Hinako, who moved forward the trio and lowered her head.

"It's my fault, Iruka-sensei…" she announced, making a surprised look appear on most of the people gathered faces. "I basically forced them to go my route and it turned out a bad trail… if it wasn't for me, we might've made it in time…"

The scar-faced chuunin stared at the girl shocked for a short moment and then a smile slowly appeared on his face as he placed his hand on the girl's head: "Well, most importantly you guys made it safely so at least this part of the test you passed…" and then he looked at the dog ninja: "By the way, Garou, these guys insisted to wait for you…" and with that he pointed at Toramaru and the other two. "It's pretty late, so I guess it's up to me to bring you back to the village, so follow me…" and with that he headed towards Konoha.

"Yo, dope…" the dog boy heard a whisper as he walked and once he looked over his shoulder, he noticed that it was Hinako who was calling him. Completely surprised, he slowed down, making the two fall behind others. Once she made sure they couldn't hear her, she looked at the young Inuzuka and said: "Back there, in the forest… I guess I didn't really thanked you for helping me find Kuroki…"

And before the boy could even say something, the redhead girl kissed him on the cheek, thus making him lose all the abilities of communication he possessed so far. "So thanks…" she added with a smile, before speeding up to catch up to others.

Iruka just smiled under his nose as he observed the whole scene over his shoulder. "_They were late… but it seems that at least those two learned something today…_" and with that he looked up to the sky, where the full moon glowed above them.

_**---chapter ends---**_

And so this one is over. Hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a comment once you're done.

And now, before I wrap this up, here's another character profile, this time concerning the last one of the 'foursome', Garou:

_Name:_ Inuzuka Garou

_Family:_ naturally his father is Kiba Inuzuka and when it comes to his mother, she's no-one important to the story anyway

_Bloodline limit:_ none

_Clan's Abilities:_ teaming up with dogs, being able to mimic them

_Birth date:_ 22nd of January

_Age:_ currently 11 years old

_Blood type:_ B

_Favorite food:_ practically any meat

_Favorite quote:_ none

_Favored fighting style:_ taijutsu

_Village:_ Konoha (Hidden Leaf)

_Rank:_ Academy student

_Team:_ not assigned yet (in this chapter only: Nekko Hinako and Hisakata Gitou)

_Techniques (used so far):_ Ninpou: Hikayaku no Jutsu (_Ninja Art: Animal Imitation Skill_), Tsuuga (_Piercing Fang_), Jujin Bushin (_Man-Beast Clone_), Gatsuuga (_Double Piercing Fang_)

_First appearance:_ 1st chapter

And that's that. Thanks for stopping by to read it.

Best wishes and until next time, hopefully.


	7. Falling Behind

Yup, it's me again :D Sorry it took me longer then usual to update, but collage has been awful for me lately. I hope you'll find this chapter worth waiting for and that you'll enjoy reading it at least as much as the previous chapter.

As usual, thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter. I hope you'll leave a comment this time as well. But naturally I invite everyone to review 

With that said, I believe the only thing left for me to do is to 'get on with it':

**Chapter #7: Falling Behind**

**_Title Page:_** Toramaru is sleeping in the hammock and out front Gai is doing push-ups on a nearby tree branch

Days went by and turned into weeks and those into months. The graduation exam was growing nearer and nearer and you could see that some of the students already began to take it seriously and others started to get really nervous: even though it was still two months away, Choumaru was getting so scared of it, his eating rate dropped, which resulted in him loosing some weight. Not that it was something really bad, but seeing an Akimichi clan member on a 'diet' was surely an unusual sight.

Hitomi kept on training like crazy, spending a lot of time after school to perfect her taijutsu skills. It wasn't really that strange, but for some reason Toramaru seemed to be very happy with his cousin's behavior, yet every time Garou asked him why that was so, he didn't answer.

Others fought the stress differently: Akemi was spending more time then usual in the gardens, taking care of the plants, Jun began visiting library quite often, even though he never really felt the need to drop by there before and Buryaku keep on sleeping during classes, but even such a carefree girl couldn't hide the fact that she felt exams coming closer as she found it a bit harder then normal to drift off.

But above everyone, the one moved the most by the fact of the test coming soon was Gai. He tried his best not to show it, but failed rather miserably at it anyway. Even without the Byakugan Toramaru could tell, for some reason, the taijutsu expert was feeling down. Way down.

"Does any of you have any idea why Gai's so depressed?" he asked his friends one day as the new green beast went past them. "I mean, he screams about this whole 'youth spirit' only once a week now and all…"

"Not really…" admitted Garou after some thought. "He's been acting weird since I've meet him, but now that you mention it, he does seem even more twisted then usual… even though he's still top of the class in taijutsu…"

Shunrai only looked back at Gai who was slowly disappearing at the end of the hallway. Her face became a little worried as she turned her sight back out front, but she still kept thinking about the fuzzy-browed gennin.

---Later that day---

Gai charged again. His opponent was a man wearing a green spandex outfit with his hands wrapped in bandages and using his hitae-ate as a belt. His black hair was shaped like a bowl and his eyebrows covered about least one-fourth of his face. He was Rock Lee, thought to be the greatest, taijutsu expert in the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

The young, shinobi wannabe lunched another punch aimed at the man's stomach, but the jounin easily avoided the attack by spinning on his foot and finding himself facing the charging boy's back, he slapped the kid softly in the back of his head. But even that was enough for the boy to lose balance and fall on his face.

In a flash he got back to his feet however and charged at the man once more, spinning of his foot at an amazing speed. His opponent seemed to predict that nevertheless and just moved to his right slightly and so when Gai was running right to his left, the man attacked the boy's legs with his own, making the youngster loose his balance yet again. Only this time, before he hit the ground, the man grabbed him, breaking the fall.

"You're not concentrated lately, Gai…" stated the man calmly as he helped the boy get back to his feet. "You just charge in recklessly without thinking. That leads to showing many openings… what's wrong, son?"

Gai only lowered his sight. He didn't reply at first and just kept staring at the ground, but after a longer silence, the young ninja decided to break it: "You know the final exams at the Academy are slowly coming… most likely we'll get some ninjutsu exercise… and you know just as good as I do that in that field I have no skills…"

As he heard that, the man placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, thus making the fuzzy-brow kid to rise his sight at him. The man smiled to the boy warmly and said: "I didn't possess any nin or genjutsu skills either… even now both of the above are things I know very little off… and yet I've manage to come this far… if you'll really work hard and put your heart into it, Gai, I'm sure you'll become a shinobi in your own right, even with taijutsu alone…"

"But I still know so little…" the boy still had doubts. "Even though I train everyday I don't really think I'm going anywhere… maybe I don't believe I can get anywhere… but there are times I'm wondering if… well, if the path I've chosen is the right one…"

"No-one can tell you that besides yourself, Gai…" replied the man. "It is you how have to make the decision and you alone. I'm not gonna lie that it's easy, coz it's not… it's not easy at all… but if you'll find people who'll aid you in it, I can promise that you'll make it through… and I assure you that no matter what your choice would be, I'll be there for you…"

"I hope I'm not interrupting something…" they suddenly heard a voice and as the two turned in the direction the voice came from, they saw two females walking towards them. The first one was a slender woman around thirty years old with long, brown hair, clipped in two buns, wearing an orange, Chinese (_A/N: as I said many times, I know China doesn't exist in "Naruto" world, but this is the best way I can describe her outfit_) dress, dark blue pants and a hitae-ate with the Leaf symbol on her forehead. She was carrying three cups of teas in front of her.

Close behind, hiding behind the woman, was a very young girl with brown hair, made into a big bun, wearing an orange kimono with white flowers all over it. The girl waved to the two males and then got back to hiding behind her mother.

"Don't worry, Tenten-chan, we were just finishing…" assured the man as he walked over to the woman and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The woman smiled and handed the boy the first cup, receiving a 'thank you' nod from him.

"Come on, Ibuki…" asked the man as he bended his knees and looked at the young girl, who was still hiding behind the woman. "Won't you give your father a hug?" and with that he held out his arms. The girl, still very shyly, walked forward a little and after a longer moment embraced the man, but only for a moment and returned behind her moms legs soon after.

"Just goes to prove what I told you, Lee-kun…" joked Tenten, laughing slightly. "You scare kids away with those eyebrows of yours! But I still like them…" she added after a moment and now it was her that gave the man a kiss on the cheek.

But Gai wasn't paying too much attention to all of this. He just stared at the tea in his cup. For some reason, even what his father said didn't made him feel any better. He looked at his reflection in the brown liquid for a moment and then raised the cup to his mouth.

---The next day---

Gai entered the Academy running. For the first time every we overslept and he was 'this close' to being late. This was unacceptable… to himself the most. As he opened the door to the classroom, he felt relieved that the teacher wasn't there yet. He slowly walked in and closing the door behind him, sat in the desk, just a row behind Toramaru and his friends.

"I'm telling you green and yellow!" announce Garou loudly. Naraku only shook his head in disagreement: "No, it was red and green… why would they use yellow for something like that? It's illogical!" but the dog ninja argued that yellow was actually the best choice.

"Seriously guys…" Toramaru cut in, a little annoyed. "Can't you find any, other topic then 'what color was the ice cream stand we stopped by yesterday'?" and with that he slammed his head against his desk.

Shunrai wasn't listening to that however. The moment Gai walked in, she followed him with her eyes and turned around to face him: "Umm… Gai-kun…" she began quietly, gaining the boy's attention. "I… well, I've noticed that… you seem troubled…"

The fuzzy eye-browed boy only stared at her for a moment and then replied even quieter then the girl did: "It's nothing…" and when he said so, a woman with long, brown hair, clipped in a ponytail, wearing a brown t-shirt with a chuunin vest on walked in.

"Morning, class…" she said out loud, drawing everyone's attention. Well, almost everyone, coz Buryaku was sleeping… what else is new. "Considering that your exams are drawing nearer and nearer, I've decided that we could start preparations, in hope you'll be ready when the time comes…"

"But Kumiko-sensei (_A/N: just in case, she has nothing to do with the character from my N:NG fic_)!" Akai raised his hand up, making the female chuunin take her eyes onto him. "We already did a check off our genjutsu skills last week… why repeat it?"

"Well Jun…" began the woman as she threw a quick glare at Gai, which no-one was, besides the fuzzy-browed boy. "To start off not everyone did as good as I'd like them too. The way I see it, your generation may grow to be one of the greatest Konoha raised so far, so it'd be a shame for someone to fail the final exam… today lets do the henge… after I'll read your name, please step forward to receive your task… let's see…" and with that she began looking around the class. "Let's start with Jun…"

And with that the masked boy walked down to the center of the class. Once he was told to take the form of Hatake Kakashi, Garou bended over to Toramaru, whispering: "Big deal, all he has to do is grow taller and the task is complete…" and hearing that the white-eyed boy laughed quietly while Jun finished his test.

"Okay, let's move on…" purposed Kumiko and then pointed at the boy in glasses: "Akumo, would you give it a try?" and hearing that the young boy walked down. He got a task to turn into the female chuunin and he did it perfectly.

"Great… Gai, your turn…" and with that Kumiko pointed at the fuzzy-browed boy. The taijutsu expert's eyes widen as he walked down with his head down. "How about you try Hokage-sama this time?" the woman purposed and Gai only nodded weakly before performing the right hand seal.

"Henge!" he yelled and as the white smoke that covered him cleared, the whole class so a tall figure standing in the place where their classmate stood just a second ago. There was only one problem: the figure didn't resemble the Rokudaime much.

Sure, the hair was blonde, but in stead of spiky, it was completely messy and much of it was falling down onto the figure's face. But that might be for the best as its face was full of pimples, the nose was long and 'sharp' and lips seemed more woman-like then a man's. The only thing that really resembled the Hokage in this part was the fact that its eyes were really blue. The outfit was better as it was true to the original in design, but the colors were totally mixed up. To put it simply: you can't do much worse.

"I'm sorry Gai, but your henge needs more work…" announced Kumiko kindly as the fuzzy-browed boy walked back to his seats, cheered on by some of his classmates laughter. Once the lesson was over, everyone headed out, but the female chuunin stopped the taijutsu specialist before he left: "Gai, may I have a word with you?"

The boy froze and a little nervous, he shut the door behind Buryaku, who was the last one to leave the classroom, considering that she only just woke up. "I'm starting to get worried about you, Gai…" announced Kumiko calmly as she walked closer to the fuzzy-browed kid. "I hate to say this, but with your current, genjutsu level you have no chance in passing the final exam in case it'd turn out to be an illusion test…"

"I know, Kumiko-sensei…" assured Gai with his head lowered. "It's just that…" but he didn't really knew what to say, so he finished there. The female chuunin only placed her hand on his shoulder, thus making him look up at her.

"I know about your father…" she announced kindly. "And I realize that it must be hard for you, but I'm saying this for your own good. I really wish you'll manage to become a ninja, because I see that you have a lot of potential, but… please, at least give genjutsu more work. Even though your father could never master any technique based on chakra, you mother was capable of doing it, so you should have such a possibility as well… promise?" and with that she smiled widely at him, making him blush slightly.

Gai only nodded and then walked out the classroom, leaving Kumiko alone. He was surprised to see Shunrai waiting for him outside the door. "What are you doing here, Shunrai-chan?" he asked confused, but the girl only grabbed his hand and replied: "Please follow me, Gai-kun…"

As the blue-haired girl dragged him to the school backyard, the fuzzy-browed boy looked behind him at the Academy. "Shunrai-chan, the next lesson will start soon, we should…" but before he could finish, he was interrupted by the young kunoichi:

"Please, I want you to do something for me…" she announced, making big eyes towards him and making the boy blush once more. Basically following the girl's example. Finally he sighed and asked: "What is it that you need?"

"I want you…" she began, returning to her usual, shy self. "To have a sparring match with Toramaru-kun…" and with that she pointed behind him, where the white-eyed boy stood with his arms crossed. Gai looked totally confused now and turned towards his 'opponent'. "Are you serious, Shunrai-chan?" he asked the girl, who only nodded.

"Don't tell me you're scared…" Toramaru said out loud, making Gai's fist clench a little. "But then, someone with such low, ninja skills probably can't match me anyway, so it's understandable that you don't want to try… chicken!"

At hearing that, the fuzzy-browed boy, both angered and confused, charged straight at the son of the Hokage. Toramaru instantly activated his bloodline limit and managed to block Gai's attack coming from his right with his hand. But less then a millisecond later the taijutsu specialist lunched a kick into the blonde's stomach, thus forcing the white-eyed boy to lift his left knee up in order to block that attack as well.

Before Toramaru knew it, Gai spun on his foot and bended his knees pushing his left leg (_A/N: the one he didn't attacked Toramaru with_) out and as his foot made a full circle on the ground, it hit the leg the blonde was standing on, making him lose his balance and fall on the ground (_A/N: sorry guys, I'm trying to make Gai's style similar to his father's, but it hard for me to right… hope you manage to understand what's going on at least_).

The fuzzy-browed boy didn't waste a second and bending to his left, he propped his hands against the ground and shoot his legs to the sky. Instantly he brought them down, right at the place Toramaru was laying, but the blonde managed to roll away just in time to avoid the attack.

In a flash both boys got back to their feet and faced each other again, this time the white-eyed kid being the one who charged at his opponent. As he lunched an attack with an opened palm at the fuzzy-browed boy, Gai spun on his foot yet again, ducking under the assault and while his back was facing the blonde, he lunched his elbow back, hitting the son of Hokage into the stomach.

Instantly the taijutsu expert placed his hands on the ground again and performed a Belgian Helicopter, but this time Toramaru saw that coming and it was him that bended over, making Gai's attack go above his head. While the fuzzy-browed boy was still spinning on his hands, the blonde lunched a kick into his stomach, which send him flying back.

Gai however flipped in mid-air and managed to land safely on his feet, only to see Hokage's son charging at him once more. The fuzzy-browed boy reacted immediately and slid towards his opponent, lunching a kick to Toramaru's side, but the blonde managed to jump to his right, away from the assault.

The taijutsu expert seemed to predict that though and in a flash flipped from his back to his front, lunching another kick, with his other leg this time, coming from the opposite direction then the first was lunched.

Having no way to dodge, the white-eyed boy could only move his hand behind his back to block the attack and succeed only thanks to his bloodline limit. Once Gai's leg hit his hand, Toramaru grabbed his opponent's leg and spinning on his foot lunched a kick where the fuzzy-browed boy's face was.

Gai however still had his hands free and used them to block the attack, lunching a kick with his free leg at his opponent's face as well. In order to avoid the attack, Toramaru had to let go of the leg he grabbed and duck under. Once he did that, the two boys eyes meet and in an instant they both jumped away from each other, prepared to continue the fight.

But a little surprisingly, the blonde smiled and dropped his fighting stance. Slightly confused, Gai soon followed, raising one of his huge eyebrows. "You're certainly a hard opponent to beat…" announced Toramaru, still smiling. "I'd surely like to check my skills against you, but this is not the time or the place for that. I'll fight you on equal terms, so you better become gennin with the rest of us so that we could have a re-match…" and with that he held out his hand.

After a short hesitation, Gai held out his and the two shook their hands, smiling at each other. Shunrai, who was still watching the whole scene from the distance smiled as well as she walked over to the two and with a bow thanked the blonde.

"What was this all about anyway?" Gai finally asked when they were heading back to the Academy for their next lesson.

"Shunrai told me about your… problems…" replied Toramaru simply. "And ask to help out. She figured you could use a little burst. And I can tell you that you have what it takes to become a great shinobi. Even if you don't know a thing about gen- or ninjutsu, that still doesn't change the fact that you can become a respectful ninja… so put your best effort to it…" and with that he walked into the classroom.

The fuzzy-browed boy looked at the blue-haired girl, who was now staring at the floor, her face slightly red. "Thanks, Shunrai-chan…" Gai finally said, breaking the silence and smiling warmly to the kunoichi. She just replied with the nod and walked through the door the taijutsu expert opened for her. History class was about to start.

---Later that day---

Kumiko heard a knock on the door and as she said 'enter' a boy she didn't expect to show up walked in. Gai bowed deeply before the female chuunin and without rising his head, he asked: "Kumiko-sensei, please… help me learn genjutsu!"

The woman was first shocked at hearing that, but then smiled under her nose she sat up from behind her desk and walked over to the boy, who now raised his head slightly, but remained in the bow.

"Very well…" she replied, smiling widely. "Let's get to work… we have a lot of catching up to do…"

_**---days go by… life goes on---**_

And that concludes this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it, because the Academy years are about to finish. Soon the real adventures will begin!

Since I've done all the main characters for Academy years profiles already, I have to choose one character now. Since this chapter was centered on Gai, I figure he'll do for this time:

_Name:_ Rock Gai

_Family:_ as you learned in this chapter, his parents are Lee Rock and Tenten. He also has a younger sister by the name Ibuki (as a note, word 'buki' means 'weapon' and Ibuki can be translated as 'mighty blow')

_Bloodline limit:_ none

_Clan's Abilities:_ unique, taijutsu techniques, involving speed

_Birth date:_ 8th of May

_Age:_ currently 12 years old

_Blood type:_ 0

_Favorite food:_ none

_Favorite quote:_ make the spirit of youth bloom!

_Favored fighting style:_ taijutsu

_Village:_ Konoha (Hidden Leaf)

_Rank:_ Academy student

_Team:_ not assigned yet

_Techniques (used so far):_ none

_First appearance:_ 1st chapter

And that's really that. Hope you liked it. Best wishes and until next time, hopefully.


	8. Making Your Own Legend

**Dynamic Updatto!** Surprise! Never thought I'll be able to pull something like that off again, but here I am! Just like the previous time, I'm able to update ALL my "Naruto" fic at the same time! Also this time around it's more of a celebration! Tomorrow I'm turning 21 (boy, am I old or what) and to make it special not only for me but for you guys also, I've decided to sit down to it and wrote new chapters of all my fics. Hope you'll enjoy them!

Thanks fore all the reviews for last time. Glad you enjoyed the chapter and hope that you'll like this one at least as much. This one is more of a comedy one, but you get to learn a bit more about some of the students right before the real adventure begins.

Without further to do, let's get down to the next chapter of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire":

**Chapter #8: Making Your Own Legend**

**_Title page:_** Gitou is standing before the Memorial Stone and Jun is watching him from afar, standing on a tree branch

"Boy, didn't expect it to be that easy!" announced Garou with a wide smile as he walked out of the Academy along with his friends stretching. If you'd look closely, you'd realize he looked a little different, for there was a hitae-ate with a leaf symbol on his forehead.

"Acting all tuff…" the four heard a voice and as they turned to their left, they noticed Gaki walking besides them, also with a headband on his forehead. "I can bet your score was one of the lowest in the class… but that should be expected from losers…" and at this point the dog ninja felt the urge to jump him, but was in time grabbed by Toramaru, who also acquired a hitae-ate, which he wore on his forehead, following the example of the other, two boys. The bully just walked towards the gate and soon disappeared behind the corner.

"Let it be…" the blonde advised his friend. "If we're lucky, tomorrow will be the last day we'll have to see that guy's face…" and then he turned to their other, two companions: Shunrai, who had her headband tied around her neck and Naraku, who also wore it on his forehead.

Today was their final exam day. Many wondered how it'll look like, but in the very end it turned out they were wrong, at least to an extend. What it was then? I'm not sure if that really matters, especially when it was behind them. Now all that the young gennin thought about was how they're going to celebrate their promotion. Well, most of them at least.

Suddenly Gai run right pass them, jumping up and down and heading towards his father, who stood right bellow a nearby tree: "Dad, I made it!" announced the taijutsu expert, pointing at his forehead protector which he used as a belt. "I'm a gennin! My spirit of youth will surely bloom from now on!"

"That's my boy!" Lee yelled back cheerfully and he embraced his son.

"One eyebrow bigger then the other…" concluded Garou as he stared at the two with his eyes widen. "Whichever woman married Gai's father was certainly a brave one…" he joked, making Toramaru and Naraku laugh a little, but Shunrai just lowered her sight at his comment.

"Outta the way, dudes!" another yell was heard and with it Shimiru rode his skateboard outside Academy ground, his bandana now replaced with the hitae-ate the same as most students his age now had.

Soon other students began leaving the Academy with their brand new headband. Kumo, who wore it on his forehead like Hitomi did, Akemi followed Shunrai's example and also carried hers around her neck, Akai wrapped it around his left arm, while Akumo had it tied around a belt that went across his chest.

With a loud yawn Buryaku, who placed her headband around her left arm, walked passed them and reached a woman around her forties with long, blonde hair, clipped in four ponytails and teal eyes. She had a slender figure and was wearing a little wide, dark, purple dress with a huge fan attached to her back. What was the most surprising was the fact that she had a hitae-ate of the Hidden Sand Village around her neck.

"A sand-nin?" Naraku seemed completely confused. "But why would she be allowed to enter the village? And further more, I didn't know Buryaku's mother wasn't a Leaf shinobi…" but then Toramaru cut it: "So? Shunrai isn't originally from Konoha either…" he reminded his friend.

"Who cares?" asked Garou with an evil smile as he observed the woman. "What's important is that she's super hot!" and at this point he felt like howling and most likely he'd do that if it wasn't for a voice that came from behind their backs right before he did so: "You do realize that she's like three times older then you, don't you?"

As the four turned around, they saw Gouka standing right behind them smiling. She wore her hitae-ate around her belt in a way the Leaf symbol would be on her left hip. "Maybe, but she still looks better then you…" the dog boy shoot back, making Naraku's twin eyes narrowed.

"Excuse me…" they all heard another voice, which this time belonged to another woman, one with long, blonde hair and blue eyes. She seemed to be in her mid-thirties and wore a purple, revealing outfit with a sleeveless top and short skirt. There also was a fishnet around both her elbows and knees. "I'm looking for my son, have you seen.." but at this point she was interrupted by a loud yell 'mom'.

Everyone looked at the Academy exit and spot Choumaru running straight forward at the woman. At this point it seemed that he'll jumped right onto her (_A/N: Garou was positive that if he were to do that, both of them would land on the ground_), but he stopped just inches before the blonde woman and pointed at his headband, located on his forehead: "Mom, I really did it! I'm a shinobi now, like you and dad!"

"Great job, son…" the woman congratulated him by rubbing his hair and kissing him on the cheek. "Lets go home to celebrate then. I made your favorite dish, but we'll have to hurry or your father might eat it all…" she joked and both walked away.

"Wow, Chou's got a hot momma too…" stated Garou, drooling slightly and making Toramaru shook his head at his friend's behavior. And only because he looked away did the blonde noticed Jun talking to a man who basically seemed like his adult version with just one difference: the hitae-ate, although it was on his forehead, was falling onto his left eye, whereas Jun's stayed on the forehead completely.

"Naraku, Gouka…" another voice was heard and this time it belonged to a pink-haired woman, Sakura Uchiha, the twins mother, who waved at the duo. "Not fair!" Garou finally yelled as he turned towards his friend. "Naraku, why didn't you told me your mom was a hottie too?" but this one earned him a smack in the face, surprisingly from both of the twins.

"You really earned that one…" Toramaru whispered into the dog ninja's ear as Gouka walked away and Naraku saying 'see ya tomorrow' run off to his parent as well. "Seriously Garou, why don't you look for a girl to admire that's more around your age?" the blonde asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Come on, when beautiful females like that appear, it's impropriate to look away…" joked the dog ninja and then heard a loud 'ekhem' coming from behind his back. As the trio looked around, they saw Hinako standing there with her arms crossed and a hitae-ate that most likely covered a vein that was pulsing on the girl's forehead: "Interesting theory…" she announced, sending Garou a death glare.

And who knows what faith would await the young Inuzuka if it wasn't for a teenager girl that suddenly appeared between him and the cat kunoichi. The girl that seemed to be around seventeen, had long, black hair with red ribbon tied in them and teal eyes. She wore a sleeveless, black top that revealed her navel and slightly baggy, black pants with two, white stripes going down each of the trouser legs. She had a headband with the Leaf symbol used as a belt.

"Sis?" Hinako seemed totally surprised to see the older girl. "I thought you were on a mission outside the village…" but the teenage kunoichi only smiled: "Did you really believed I'd miss my little sisters most important day?" and with that the two hugged each other.

"_Good looks must come in Hinako-chan's family…_" Garou thought to himself as he looked at the duo. "_What the hell am I thinking, dammit? No dirty thoughts, no dirty thought… ah, who am I kidding… right now I'm ALL dirty thoughts…_"

And just then the teenage girl noticed the dog ninja. Sending him a cold glare, her eyes narrowed: "An Inuzuka, huh?" she asked, not really carrying. "Let me give you a piece of advise…" and with that she bended over and whispered into Garou's ear: "Stay away from my sister or I might get unpleasant…" and in an instant she straightened herself once more and walked away with the redhead girl without saying a word.

"Ah, clan's rivalry…" the dog ninja finally said out loud, once the two girls were gone. "There's nothing better to ruin a relationship, be it friendship or something more…"

"Actually I'm not surprised at that girl's behavior…" stated Toramaru. "You're only twelve and can't control your stupid hormones already… just think what you'll become in few years…" he joked, making Garou look at him with his eyes as narrow as possible.

"Anyways…" began the blonde after a short silence. "None of my folks will manage to come for me and my brother will be back in the evening, so I have the rest of the day free… you guys wanna do something?" and with that he turned to the two.

"I'm actually in a similar situation as you…" announced the young Inuzuka. "But whatever we'll choose, I beg of you, leave ramen alone at least today!" and so the two looked at Shunrai, who only lowered her head before replying: "I can't… I need to be home…"

"Why?" Garou asked surprised. He wanted to ad that since she lived by herself anyway, she should be able to do what she wanted, but managed to hold himself back in the last moment, realizing how cold that would sound.

"I just can't…" she repeated with guilt in her voice as sight set on the ground bellow. "I need to go shopping and then…" but at this point she stopped. Toramaru just wrapped his arm around her, making her face turn completely red, and asked: "Well then, how about we help you, since we have nothing better to do anyway?" he purposed with a smile and without rising her head so to not show her blush, she just nodded. "It's decided then!" announced the blonde and soon all three were gone.

Meanwhile Gitou exited the Academy as well with his forehead protector wrapped around his left arm. The boy looked at the sun and then turned his gaze at a nearby forest. With his eyes turning a little sad, he disappeared, heading towards the forest. Few meters away Jun, who observed the whole scene, only narrowed his eyes.

---Sometime later---

Shunrai picked some carrots (_A/N: after Garou stick two of them into his mouth and pretended to be a vampire, making the kunoichi and the blonde laugh_) as she went through the vegetable aisles. While she was taking care of the greens, the dog ninja offered himself to pick some meat for her, which turned out to be a little bad idea as the moment he walked in the right place, Hanomaru jumped forward, grabbing a nearby steak. In a flash the two began struggling to claim the meat as their own: the pup to eat it and the young Inuzuka to save himself from paying for it.

After few, more adventures they had in the store (_A/N: out of which most included Garou_) the trio headed to Shunrai's home. As they reached the right building, Toramaru realized that even though they knew each other for so long, he have never been to the young kunoichi's house.

The trio walked up the stairs to the fourth floor and stopped before the doors leading to the apartment number 42. Shunrai slowly picked out her keys after placing the bags she was carrying on the floor and opened them, letting the two boys in.

As they walked through the door, the two looked around instinctually, realizing that they were now in a rather small apartment with a narrow kitchen on their right and a small bathroom on the left. In front of them was a single room, which took around half of the apartment's full size.

The kitchen barely left the room to move. It had one fridge, located in the corner, few closets hanging on the wall above the kitchen sank and cooker. The bathroom was no better as most of its space was taken by a bathtub and a shower, covered by wide glass. There was a small wash-stand, a toilet and a primitive, washing machine as well.

As they entered the room, they spotted a single bed on the left and few, larger closets on the right. In the middle of the room there was a small table, suitable for four people to eat at once at best. The windows located between the bed and the closets were rather small, but tidy. Here and there on the floor Garou noticed books and scrolls, probably meant for training.

"Nice place…" the dog ninja finally announced, trying to hide the fact that he has seen better houses. "I mean, at least you have all you need… so, where do you want us to put the shopping?" he asked quickly, trying to change the subject. The blue-haired girl simply pointed an empty spot in the kitchen and a second later they freed their hands from the 'weight'.

"So, what are we making?" asked Toramaru as he took a kitchen knife and looked at Shunrai. The girl only blushed deeply and lowering her head, she replied: "I'm not making lunch today…" and as she said so, Garou look at her with his eyes widen.

But just then someone walked in through the window and as the trio looked out from the kitchen, they realized that the unexpected guest was Hinata: "Sorry I'm late, Shunrai… clan's meeting stretched slightly and…" and at this point she noticed both Garou and her son: "Oh, you have guests… Toramaru, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, mom…" the blonde shoot back, pointing his finger at her. "Why are you here?" he demanded and the woman only smiled as she headed towards the kitchen: "I only came to help Shunrai a bit…" and once she reached her destination, she began chopping the carrots.

"So, will you boys be staying for lunch? If so, I'd have to prepare some extra food…" she announced with a warm smile, making Garou's face turn deep red, which the dog boy turn around in order to hide it: "I wouldn't want to cause trouble, Hinata-sama…" he stated, still blushing.

"It's not a problem really…" she assured, still smiling. "It's actually good to see someone finally paid Shunrai a visit…" and with that she smiled towards the younger kunoichi. "You boys just wait a moment and I'll prepare you something good… as a celebration for you all becoming shinobi…" and so she returned to making lunch.

Toramaru only glanced at his female friend with his eyes widen as he announced: "Since when does my mother stop by here? And why neither of you even told me about it?" he half demanded, half was curious. The blue-haired girl thought it through a little and then replied: "Basically since that time you asked me to join you for ramen dinner the first time…"

"And all this time you haven't told me?" as he asked that, Shunrai felt great guilt. She lowered her face sadly before replying quietly: "H-Hinata-sama asked me to keep this a secret from you…" and so silence felt between them.

Garou felt a little heavy atmosphere and so decided to speak up, but the second he opened his mouth, Toramaru raised his hand and without looking at the dog ninja, she warned: "I swear, if you say my mother's hot, I'll kick your ass…" and at this point, all three burst out laughing.

---That time, elsewhere---

Gitou landed in the middle of a small meadow, located in the center of the forest. He glanced to his left where three, wooden pales stood. But those were of no interested to him. He came here because of a big stone that was placed right in front of him. The boy walked closer and bended his knees once he reached the stone. His eyes grew sad as he went down tens of names that were curved in it. Then his eyes narrowed slightly as he found the name he was seeking. The name of Gekkou Hayate.

He didn't even noticed the black clouds that gathered on the sky nor did he saw the lighting flash or heard the thunder that followed it. He didn't even realize when someone appeared right behind him. "So this is where you were going…" concluded Jun calmly as he looked at his classmate.

"Why are you here?" Gitou responded with a question without turning his gaze at the masked boy. At this time the rain began pouring down, falling on their face. Jun's spiky hair got soaked instantly and began falling down. The two stayed silent for few moments before the son of Kakashi decided to speak up: "You came to visit the grave of your uncle…"

"What difference does that make?" the other boy asked back, still not turning around. Silence felt between them once more, only this time it got broken by Gitou: "You know, he was thought to be one of the most skilled shinobi of his generation? The greatest swordsman Konoha produced so far… he died protecting the village… he's a true hero…"

"No-one can deny that…" Jun slightly nodded, but the other boy didn't saw that as he was still absorbed with staring at the memorial stone. The swordsman only let out a sigh: "That's exactly how it is…" and with that he lowered his head to look at the ground. "And I'm nothing like him…"

At this point the masked boy walked closer and placed his hand on his classmate's shoulder: "No…" he agreed. "You are not… because you're not him… you're Gitou. Just like I'm not my father… both him and your cousin are legends, but we are not them, no matter how the others see us… we are ourselves and thus we will make our own legends… we'll live our lives like we want, not like they did… this is what matters…"

The young swordsman for the first time glanced at the other boy and smiled under his nose. As Gitou stood back up, Jun returned the smile behind his mask and holding out his hand, he purposed: "Lets make a deal: tomorrow, when we get our teams assigned, we'll both enter the path to show everyone that we're something more then just descendants of our relatives. What do you say?"

Gitou hesitated for a short moment and then shook the son of Kakashi's hand with a wide smile: "You got yourself a deal…" and just like that the storm calmed down as the black clouds made room for the sun to shine again.

---That evening at Hokage Tower---

"Is it certain?" Sasuke asked the Rokudaime as he looked above a list the Leaf leader just handed him. The blonde only nodded as he replied: "Iruka-san just delivered the list with new, gennin teams to me… this is how they'll be divided tomorrow…"

"Quite interesting…" stated the head of the Uchiha as he handed the sheet of paper to the Hokage and reached for his ANBU mask. "One thing disturbs me though… that jounin instructor you choose for team number one… are you really positive you want him to take care of any, gennin team? Especially that one?"

"You do not approve my choice?"

"With all, due respect, dope…" began Sasuke with a tiny smirk. "He seems like the least, suitable man to do such a job… to skip the fact that I don't know why you allowed him to become the Leaf's shinobi in the first place…"

"I realize that it may seem strange to you…" announced Naruto as he got up from his chair and looked at the black, starry sky. "But with all that happened during the last, four years I don't want to take any risks… he is who he is, but out of all the jounin I have under my command, I can't think of anyone more suitable for protecting those kids…"

"If you say so…" replied the ANBU as he put his mask on. "I just hope you're not making a big mistake… see you later…" and with that he disappeared in the cloud of white smoke. The blonde didn't even turn around. He just set his gaze on the crescent moon and with worry showing on his face, he said to himself: "I hope so as well…"

_**---once more the day has ended… and tomorrow their journey will begin!---**_

And with that this chapter ends! Hope you enjoyed it. Coming up: the Academy is finally left behind. True hardships of a shinobi life begins as the young ninja find out who their teammates will be! And who is this person that disturb Sasuke so much? Find out in the next chapter!

Now, before I'll wrap this up, here's another character profile, choose at total random:

_Name:_ Hisakata Gitou

_Family:_ there's no information about his parents, however he's related to Hayate Gekkou

_Bloodline limit:_ none

_Clan's Abilities:_ his clan is thought to be the best in Konoha when it comes to sword fighting

_Birth date:_ 27th of June

_Age:_ currently 12 years old

_Blood type:_ B

_Favorite food:_ chicken soup

_Favorite quote:_ none

_Favored fighting style:_ sword fighting with a little ninjutsu

_Village:_ Konoha (Hidden Leaf)

_Rank:_ gennin

_Team:_ not assigned yet (or rather I'd not reveal it before the next chapter)

_Techniques (used so far):_ none

_First appearance:_ 1st chapter

And so this is really it. Hope you enjoyed my birthday chapter and that you'll leave me a review as a present.

Best wishes and until next time, hopefully.


	9. Starting Signal

Well, I somehow managed to finish this sooner then expected and so I'm uploading it! But be warned that I find the fact that this fic's popularity is dropping most disturbing and with the among of collage work I have on my hands these days I will put this **ON HOLD **if I won't be satisfied with it's popularity. So if you wanna know what happens next, review.

Thanks for all the reviews for last time. Glad you enjoyed the story so far. This chapter brings the moment you were waiting for: the gennin teams are decided! The real adventure begins now!

With all that said, I believe the only thing left to do is to get on with it:

**Chapter #9: Starting Signal**

**_Title Page:_** Naruto is giving Toramaru a piggy bank ride

The moment the alarm clock rang, Toramaru jumped out of the bed and put on his regular clothes in a flash. With a wide smile appearing of his face, he stopped before a large mirror and placed his hitae-ate with the Leaf symbol on his forehead.

As he came down for breakfast, he noticed that his father already left. The boy felt a little sad due to that fact, because he really wanted to hear 'good job, son' today. But he chased away that thought immediately and smiled to his mother, who was already placing his bowl of ramen on the table.

The young blonde sat down and began eating, observed by his older brother, who sat across the table. Iruka grinned at him and asked playfully: "So, how does a pipsqueak feel on his big day?"

"Great!" replied the boy cheerfully as he finished his breakfast and turned to the white-eyed woman: "Mom, I should go. I shouldn't be late today…"

"But you still have over an hour to the graduation…" announced Hinata as she looked at the clock. "There's no need for you to rush, honey…" and with that she placed another bowl before him. "And it's actually surprising that you're so anxious to get to school… if I wasn't there, I could think you're not Naruto-kun's son…" and with that she giggled slightly, making the boys follow soon after.

---Later that day---

Toramaru, Shunrai, Naraku and Garou settled down in one row next to one another, in the middle of the classroom. By his behavior, the blonde could tell the dog ninja was at least as excited as he was.

"Can't wait!" stated Garou with a wide smile. "I wonder how the teams will be chosen! You guys think we'll land in one cell?" but as he asked that, a loud snore was heard right behind them and as they turned around, they saw Buryaku sleeping, as always: "Either way, I feel sorry for whoever lands in the same team as her… basically she slept through most of her life…"

Just then Iruka walked inside the classroom and looked around. Noticing that all the noises in the room vanished the moment he appeared in the door, he smiled under his nose slightly: "_Everyday should be a graduation day…_" he joked in his mind and then said out loud: "Hello everyone! As you all know, today is your last day at the Academy, so I'd like to take this chance and congratulate you all on passing the final exam and becoming a ninja! Yet you must also remember that you're only gennin and on this world walk many people who are both stronger and more experienced then you!"

"Blah, blah, blah…" whispered Garou with a slight yawn. "You know what, I think I'll follow Buryaku's example… wake me up when the important stuff begins…" and so he began dozing off, but his sleep didn't took too long, as Iruka decided to get to the point immediately:

"The real hardship of shinobi life has just began for you! From now on you'll receive duties, which you'll have to fulfill for the glory of the village. As some of you may know already, you'll be divided into three-man teams, each led by a jounin instructor! He or she will be the one giving you orders, which I hope you'll follow in completing your duties! And to keep it fair, we wanted to balance all the teams and thus I separated you, basing my judgment on your skills and grades! That way each team should have equal chances!"

"Splendid…" announced Gaki with a smirk as he stared at Toramaru and his friends.

Iruka decided to ignore him and began with the list: "Team number one…. Nara Buryaku, Uchiha Naraku…" as he said so, Naraku's yaw practically hit the floor as Garou held himself back from laughter. "… and Uzumaki Toramaru!" and with this the blonde slammed his head against his desk, while the dog ninja began rolling on the ground from laughter.

"_So I'm not on Toramaru-kun's team…_" concluded Shunrai disappointed, but her thoughts were interrupted by the young Inuzuka, who barely managed to speak up while still laughing: "Nice… going, guys… I can tell… that you're happy… with the female choice of the cell…" and once more he burst out laughing, while the other two boys sat totally depressed.

"Team number two…" continued Iruka, after giving the kids few moments to calm down: "Nekko Hinako, Nayamasu Gaki and Rock Gai!" and once he said so, fuzzy brows boy jumped up, yelling as loud as he could: "Yes, I'll make the spirit of youth bloom in my teammates, just like it did in me!"

"Just my luck…" stated Gaki while rolling his eyes. He didn't even bother to look at Gai, he did threw a quick glare at Hinako though and winking to her, he made the cat girl shiver slightly. "_Oh yeah, she digs me…_" he joked to himself and got back to not carrying.

"See, you could land up worse…" Garou whispered to his friends, yet still had to hold himself back from laughter. "I mean, Gaki and Gai together… I really feel sorry for Hinako-chan…" but at this point the chuunin went on, speaking up the name they were all interested in: "Team number three: Shunrai…" and at that point the blue-haired girl listen carefully to what the teacher was saying. "… Akimichi Choumaru and Hisakata Gitou!"

"An all-you-can-eat and germ store…" concluded the dog ninja, once more with a wide smile. "Boy, you guys are unlucky in this…" and with that he turned towards Shunrai, who didn't seem to be moved in any way with who her teammates were.

Basically, none of her teammates were: Choumaru just kept on eating chips and Gitou began coughing, which might be seen as a try to draw attention if it wasn't for the fact that he was… well, Gitou.

"Team number four…" Iruka went on. "Uchiha Gouka, Aburame Kumo… and Inuzuka Garou!" and with those last, two words, a loud 'no' was heard in the classroom, followed by Toramaru and Naraku rolling on the ground, noticing the expression that appeared on their friend's face.

"Mister Silent Treatment and Hyper Hag…" now the young Uchiha was the one to tease his friend. "You were saying something about our cells, Garou?" and with that a wide smile appeared on his face.

"Shut up…" the dog ninja shoot back, propping his chin on his desk. His eyes went onto Kumo, who sat nearby and noticed that the quiet boy didn't move an inch since the time he settled down in his desk. Then he looked back where Gouka sat and once their looks meet, she send him a death glare, making shivers run down the boy's spine. "_This just keeps getting better and better…_" he complained in his mind and went back to being depressed.

"Team number five…" the chuunin continued, pretending he didn't saw the students reaction on the last announcement: "Hyuuga Hitomi, Abunage Shimiru and Hatake Jun…" and once the team rooster was complete, Toramaru turned his gaze at his cousin.

The white-eyed girl noticed it and for a split second their eyes meet, yet the young Hyuuga didn't seem to care much about the blonde at this point. She never even too a single glance at her new teammates. Toramaru then looked at the two boys she got stuck with. As his sight caught Shimiru, the skateboarder winked to him and gave him the old 'finger pointing' bit.

Jun on the other hand just exchanged glances with him and then returned to observing Iruka. Toramaru let out a sigh, relieved that he could've end-up worse and also followed the young Hatake's sight, to hear the chuunin announcing another team: "Team number six: Nekata Akemi, Kagami Akai and Megane Akumo…" and in that moment a loud 'yahoo' was heard:

"You heard that, Akemi-chan?" Akai asked the green-haired girl as he wrapped his arm around her. "We're on the same team! Couldn't end up better, won't you agree?" he continued, making the kunoichi blush slightly and give her new teammate a weak smile. She then turned towards Akumo, who sat few rows back. The glasses wearing boy only threw the two a quick glance and with a small nod he turn away.

Iruka kept going with the team rooster and after announcing the last team, he put away his list. Seeing that many of his students got over-excited with what just occurred, he only sweat dropped and with a forced smile, he announced: "Time for your lunch break… after that you'll get to meet your jounin instructors… class dismissed…" as so he was gone.

Few minutes later Toramaru, Naraku, Shunrai and Garou were sitting on the nearby rooftop, eating their lunches. "Boy, this sucks…" whined the dog ninja as he took another bite of his sandwich. "I can understand that all of us didn't end up in the same team, but why the hell am I stuck with Gouka and Kumo?"

"I guess it's a part of world's justice…" joked Toramaru. "But it is a little sad that those team weren't chosen by ourselves… I was hoping to get on the same team as you, Shunrai…" and with that he smiled towards the blue-haired girl, making her face turn completely red, which she hid by looking away.

"We're still pretty lucky…" noticed Naraku as he swallowed another bite. "At least we got picked to one team… you guys are stuck with people we barely know…" and with that he glanced at Garou and Shunrai. "Or what's worse, people who don't even like us…" and at this point the image of his sister appeared in his mind.

"Yeah, this isn't going to be easy…" the dog ninja let out a depressed sigh. It was then that Shunrai held out her hand, thus making all the boy's glance at her surprised. As all eyes set on her, she said shyly, blushing deeply: "Lets make a vow then… that no matter what happens, we'll remain friends…"

And for a short moment her companions sat there shocked. The first one to get out of the trans was Toramaru, who placed his hand on top of the kunoichi's with a wide smile: "Good idea… we'll remain friends and we'll get strong so that we could meet again one day!"

A second later Naraku also placed his hand with theirs, smiling widely and soon Garou followed as well, with a huge smirk: "We'll get stronger… and we'll show everyone what we're capable off!"

---Some time later, back in class---

"Man, oh man, where's that lame excuse for a jounin instructor?" asked Toramaru irritated as he walked in circles in the class. "Everyone already left with their teachers… don't tell me we got that weird dude my father got the time he graduated…"

"You're really troublesome…" stated Buryaku with a sleepy voice. "Sit down already… whoever that jounin guy is, he'll show up here sooner or later…" and with that she returned to laying on the desk.

"Dammit…" cursed the white-eyed boy as he grabbed a blackboard sponge and placed it above the door so that the moment it'd open, the sponge would fall down, straight onto the visitor's head. "That'll teach him not to be so damn late…"

"Sometimes you really act like a brat…" announced Naraku as he covered his eyes while he shook his head. "And besides, don't tell me that you believe that a jounin will fall for something as simple as that…"

"What, now you're a sidekick or something?" the blonde boy glanced at his friend, who only let out a sigh and then raised his head as he heard a noise.

The doors finally opened, making the blackboard sponge fall down, yet to Toramaru's great disappointment, it didn't hit its target as the man who opened the door didn't walked into the classroom blindly. He glanced down at the sponge, that was now laying on the floor, and as he picked it up, he looked at the three gennin with an emotionless face, which gave them shivers.

Only when the man raised his sight was Naraku able to see how he looked like. He seemed like a man around his mid-twenties, but the young Uchiha couldn't tell exactly due to the brown shinobi mask the man was wearing, which covered his mouth. His eyes were purple and on his forehead there was a hitae-ate with the Leaf symbol. He had spiky, brown hair with a very long ponytail falling on his back. He wore a black shirt with a brown vest on that and a little baggy, brown pants. But what drew the most attention in him was a strange, metal protector with round holes all over it, which covered most of his right arm.

"I take it you're team number one…" stated the man calmly without even looking at the three gennin as he put the blackboard sponge on its right place. He then threw them a quick glance and still not showing any emotions, he announced: "I was chosen to be your jounin instructor… follow me so we can get this over with quickly…" and with that he headed back towards the door with the young shinobi following him after exchanging confused glances.

After a short trip they all found themselves on a view point from which they could see the Hokage Monument with six, stone heads looking at them. The man propped himself against the rail and glancing over to the young shinobi, who settled down on a branch, he spoke: "I'll let you guys know from the start so that you won't be surprised later on: I've never intended to become a baby sitter nor am I overjoyed with the fact that I was assigned to you guys. I don't like it and I couldn't care less whether you'll become gennin or not…"

"What do you mean 'whether we become gennin or not'?" repeated Naraku confused. "We've already graduated from the Academy, it's not like they can lower our ranks now…" and at this point the man only chuckled:

"You guys are really clueless…" he announced calmly. "Just graduating doesn't promote you to gennin… only after you'll pass my special exam will you be allowed into gennin ranks… if you fail, you'll go back to the Academy…" and with that Naraku gulped loudly, Buryaku sweat dropped and Toramaru's jaw dropped to the floor. "I assume you guys are smart enough to figure out that since I don't like you I won't be forcing your promotion… but either way, at least for this short while that we'll be stuck together, I suppose I should learn something about you brats, so why don't you tell me about yourselves… you know, name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, plans for the future…"

"When you ask someone his name you should introduce yourself first!" noticed Toramaru with an irritated glare at the man. The jounin merely sighed and after a short silence, he announced: "My name is Kinuta Teigo… my likes, dislikes and so on… I don't feel like telling that to a bunch of brats…"

"Boy, that's a lot of info…" the son of the Hokage shoot sarcastically. "We even got to learn your name…" but the jounin didn't pay any attention to that comment. In stead he glanced at Buryaku and with his voice still emotionless, he announced: "We should start with the ladies, but since there's only girls here, we'll go with you…" and at that he pointed the lazy girl with his head.

"Well, I'm Nara Buryaku…" announced the kunoichi calmly with a sleepy voice. "I like to observe the clouds, play shogi and sleep… I dislike all the fuzz and too much work… the rest would be too troublesome to mention…"

"Okay…" replied Teigo slowly with a single drop of sweat running down his face. He then turned towards Naraku and with a slight nod in his direction, he announced: "Your turn…"

"Uchiha Naraku…" the boy responded hesitantly. "I like… umm… well, I hate Gaki! As for dreams… to become worthy of my family's name and make my father proud. Hobbies… not sure… don't have any, I suppose…"

Teigo nodded and then turned towards Toramaru: "You're the last one then… I suppose you got used to that by now…" and at that comment the blonde snapped. He recovered after a short moment however and began answering the question:

"My name's Uzumaki Toramaru, son of the current Hokage. I like ramen, both instant and the one served in the Ichiraku. What I dislike is you!" and with that he glared at the jounin, but the man didn't seemed to care at all. "My dream is to surpass my father and claim the Hokage title after him! Hobbies…" and at this point he thought for a bit as he glanced at the clouds. "Ramen, maybe?"

"Okay, we'll go with that for the time being…" stated the man as he walked away from the rail and handed them some papers. "I should tell you guys about tomorrow's training, which will determinate whether you'll become gennin or not, but I seriously hate to waste my time with you brats, so I'll just tell you that you'll find all the information you need on those printouts, including the time, place and things you'll need for the test…"

"Umm, Teigo-sensei, before you go, I have a question…" announced Buryaku, rising her hand and as the masked man glanced at her, she continued: "I heard your clan's name before, but from what I know…"

"So you're the smarty pants I've heard about…" the jounin interrupted her with a tiny smirk appearing behind his mask. "But since you mentioned it, I can tell you that you heard right: Kinuta is the name of the Oto clan… and I'm a former Sound ninja…"

"What?!" at this point Toramaru got to his feet as if he got burnt. "Then why are you even in this village? Oto and Konoha were enemies! I refuse to listen to your command! I want a different jounin instructor!" and as he said so, the man only laughed. After a moment he calmed down as with a smirk still behind his mask, he responded:

"That would be hard to achieve, considering that Hokage himself choose me to be this team's leader, justifying it by saying I was the only, reasonable choice…" announced Teigo with a note of satisfaction in his voice. "Naturally you can go and whine about it, but I don't suppose you have any chances at doing anything about it…"

"My father assigned you to us?" the blonde calmed down as well, his irritation now replaced with a total surprise. "By why would he think that you're the best to watch over m…" but before he could finish, the jounin interrupted him: "You know what your problem is? Just because you're Hokage's son, you think it's all about you…"

With that Toramaru quiet down, confused to no end. Naraku seemed to be in a similar state and the only one of the three who wasn't moved by all this was Buryaku: "I still don't get it, Teigo-sensei… if you were an Oto shinobi, why did Hokage-sama allowed you to even enter Konoha? Were you a spy or…"

"I was no spy…" the man replied immediately, slightly annoyed. "I assure you that I was one of Orochimaru's most trusted underlings… during the war I killed many of your so-called 'Leaf comrades'… and the reason why your Hokage made me a leaf-nin is none of your concern… read the printouts I gave you and I'll see you tomorrow. Came in late and you're automatically an Academy student again…" and with that he was gone.

Toramaru only glance at the note he received and as he read it, a tiny smile appeared on his face: "_This should be interesting…_"

---The next day---

The young shinobi waited for their teacher to appear as the sun slowly began rising above the horizon. The moment he showed up Toramaru and Naraku stopped talking while Buryaku woke up. The man only glanced at the trio and with a tiny smirk appearing behind his mask, he announced: "Wow, all of you guys actually came… and I was hoping that you'll just quite and I won't have to play with you anymore… oh well, no harm done… we'll end this quickly anyway…" and so he reached to his pocket.

"The deal's simple…" he said calmly as he placed an alarm clock on a nearby stump and picked out two, small, golden bells: "Your task is to take those away from me till noon… if it was up to me, I'd think of something more fun, but your Hokage asked me to give you this one, so I didn't had too much choice in that matter… one person needs only one bell, but there's only two, so at least one of you guys will end up getting none… and those of you, who won't get their bell will fail and thus return to the Academy…"

"So we all can't get promoted to gennin?" asked Buryaku slightly surprised. "That seems kinda unfair… and troublesome…"

"Like I care…" replied Teigo calmly as he pinned the bells to his belt. "If you don't like it, you can always just quit without trying… it's not like any of you weaklings will be able to even touch those bells, left alone grabbing one anyway…"

"I'm so gonna kick your ass…" announced Toramaru annoyed to no end.

"Feel free to try…" Teigo responded, still calm. "You're allowed to use any weapon or technique you find suitable… if you want your chances of passing to be any higher then zero, you must come at me ready to kill… otherwise it's hello Academy…"

At this point Toramaru's and Naraku's eyes narrowed, while Buryaku simply yawned. Teigo smirked behind his mask as he continued: "Okay, enough chit-chat… lets get this over with quickly… ready and… BEGIN!"

_**---the survival training begins… how will it end?---**_

And so this chapter ends. Hope you enjoyed it and that you'll leave me a review once you're done. It'll be both nice and would help this fic survive.

And now, before finishing, here's another character profile:

_Name:_ Nara Buryaku

_Family:_ her parents are Nara Shikamaru, considered to be the best tactician in Konoha, and Temari (now also Nara), a former Sand kunoichi. She also has a younger brother named Shikaru

_Bloodline limit:_ none

_Clan's Abilities:_ the control of shadows and from her mother's part wind attacks

_Birth date:_ 1st of May

_Age:_ currently 12 years old

_Blood type:_ 0

_Favorite food:_ sushi

_Favorite quote:_ how troublesome

_Favored fighting style:_ ninjutsu

_Village:_ Konoha (Hidden Leaf)

_Rank:_ gennin

_Team:_ team led by Kinuta Teigo; her teammates are Uchiha Naraku and Uzumaki Toramaru

_Techniques (used so far):_ none

_First appearance:_ 1st chapter

And that's that. Thanks for reading.

Take care.


	10. Saved by the Bell

Yo everyone! As some of you probably noticed, last time I've decided to put this fic on hold, due to the lack of popularity, but considering that throughout the last, four months, when this fic was not being updated, quick a few reviews came in, I've decided to give this story another shot.

However you should be aware that if the popularity won't be satisfactory, this fic will be put on hold again or maybe even discontinued, so if you'd like to know what happens next, REVIEW!

And now, without further to do, here's the newest chapter of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire":

**Chapter #10: Saved by the Bell**

**_Title Page:_** Buryaku is sitting on the top of a huge elephant with Toramaru sleeping on its fang and Naraku holding onto its trunk

"Okay, enough chit-chat…" announced Teigo with a bored tone as he tied the two bells to his belt. "Lets get this over with quickly… ready and… BEGIN!" and the moment he said so Buryaku jumped away, hiding in the bushes around the meadow. The jounin glanced after the kunoichi for a second and then looked back at the boys that stood in front of him with a single drop of sweat falling down the back of his head: "And you guys ain't gonna hide?"

"No need for that…" Toramaru shoot back as he went to his fighting stance. "The two of us will simply beat you senseless and then take those stupid bells…" Naraku only nodded at his friend's comment, making Teigo shake his head in disagreement. Buryaku only sweat dropped at this.

"And I thought every team had only one idiot…" stated the masked man calmly. "But tell you what, I'll give you guys a chance: I promise I'll only use taijutsu to bring you brats down… that way I'll at least have a little fun kicking you around…"

"You ass!" yelled Toramaru seriously pissed as he charged forward, activating his Byakugan. He launched an attack with an opened palm at the jounin's chest, yet Teigo instantly side-stepped it and grabbed him by the wrist before the blonde managed to react. In a flash Hokage's son felt his hand being dragged behind his back and before he knew it, he landed hard on his back, while Teigo let go of his hand.

"First rule of a shinobi fight, brat…" began the jounin calmly as the stared at the laying blonde. "Don't get carried away by emotions… otherwise you're an easy target…" and the moment he said so, he lifted his hand with the melody arm up in order to block a spin-kick that was coming at his head. As the masked man glanced to his right, he noticed Naraku standing on his left foot with his right leg still in the position after the kick.

In an instant Teigo bended his knees and spinning on his foot kicked the young Uchiha's left leg, thus making the boy lose his balance. The raven-haired boy however managed to prop himself with his hands and launched a double kick at his instructor. To his great dismal though, the former sound-nin merely jumped into the air and somersaulting over him, landed safely on the ground.

Immediately the jounin spun on his foot in an attempt to deliver a spin-kick into Naraku's face, yet before the attack connected, Toramaru appeared between the two and blocking the kick with his right hand, he launched an assault with his open palm right at the back of Teigo's head.

Surprisingly for the blonde however, Teigo simply bended forward, making the young ninja's attack go above his head, and then spun around, aiming a punch into the boy's face. Toramaru instantly jumped back, avoiding the attack, but for some reason his body suddenly shook uncontrollably, while a weird sound hit his ears.

The son of Hokage collapsed to his knees, covering his ears as Teigo stood straight again and looked at him: "Unpleasant, isn't it?" he asked, gaining the blonde's attention. The white-eyed boy only looked at him, the sound disappearing as sudden as it appeared. "I know I promised I'll use only taijutsu, but I just couldn't help myself with this… and besides, in a shinobi world, someone's word isn't really worth that much…"

"You'll pay for that!" announced Naraku, making the jounin look at him over his shoulder. The young Uchiha only performed a quick hand seal and called out from the bottom of his lungs: "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" and in a flash Teigo found himself surrounded with the boy's clones.

"_Shadow Clone Skill, eh?_" the former sound-nin thought to himself as he looked around. "_To think someone his age would be capable of using such a technique… and quite a few bushin at that. I guess I can play with this guy for a while then…_"

A second later tens of Naraku came charging at the jounin from every direction, aiming their fists at the man. As the first clone came within his range, Teigo elbowed it, making it disappear in the cloud of white smoke, while he grabbed the bushin that ran right after it by the shirt, using the same hand he elbowed the first with.

In a flash the masked man spun on his foot, tossing the clone he grabbed at one that came at him from the right, delivering a spin-kick into the other and punching the third under its chin with his free hand, making all, four Naraku take by the familiar smoke.

The jounin's eyes narrowed as he spotted one clone that came at him from above. Acting on instinct, Teigo jumped into the sky to and blocking the punch Naraku aimed at him, he kicked the bushin in the stomach, using the moment the attack connected to bounce off and fly above the other clones to land safely outside the circle Uchihas made.

The instant his feet touched the ground, the nearest clone aimed a spin kick into his face, however Teigo's reaction proven to be better as the jounin managed to spin on his foot while leaning forward slightly, thus avoiding the hit, and delivered a spin kick of his own, making the bushin get dispelled.

Another Naraku came charging in, but the former sound-nin simply side-stepped the assault and landed a hit in the back of the clone's head as it came by him, while delivering a punch right into the face of another bushin that tried to catch him off guard. Without a second waste, Teigo bended to his left and propping his hand on the ground, he threw his legs to the sides, thus disposing of two, more clones.

"_With such a mass shadow clone, he's capable of staying untouched while using only taijutsu?_" Buryaku, who observed the whole scene from her hideout narrowed her eyes. "_Taking those bells is really going to be pretty troublesome…_"

As the jounin delivered another spin-kick, thus getting rid of the last clone, Toramaru came charging at him with his palms surrounded with chakra. As the blonde launched an attack at the man's face, Teigo simply threw his hand off course, by hitting him in the wrist and then slammed his opened palm into the boy's stomach, making Hokage's son collapse to his knees, gasping for air.

At that time the real Naraku came at the former sound-nin as well, however Teigo simply jumped forward and somersaulting in the air, grabbed Toramaru by the back of his shirt. As the boy suddenly flew along with the jounin, his eyes only widen before the man landed back to the ground and tossed the blonde straight at his incoming friend, making the two, young shinobi collide.

"Well, I'm disappointed" announced Teigo calmly as the two boys slowly got back to their feet. "I've expected better from the son of Hokage and the prodigy of the famous, Uchiha clan. I knew you weren't very good, but didn't expect you to suck out loud that much…"

At those words Naraku snapped and once more performed the Kage Bushin, making all his clones charge at the jounin with a wild yell. However Teigo merely bended his knees slightly and then swung his right hand at the air. An instant later all the copies of the young shinobi collapsed to their knees or at least stopped, covering their ears, before they disappeared in the cloud of white smoke, leaving the masked man standing unharmed.

"What the…?" Naraku began, but Toramaru only narrowed his eyes as he glanced at the melody arm attached to Teigo's hand: "_That thing_" the blonde thought to himself, settling his sight on the device. "_At one instant he filled it with chakra and then all the clones suddenly disappeared. It's the same as that time when he got me! He uses sound! He really is from the Hidden Sound!_"

The jounin merely crossed his arms, like he was inviting the young ninja to come at him again. The on to do so, was Toramaru: "Your ass is mine!" he yelled, preparing his gentle fist. In a flash he attacked from the left, however Teigo managed to block the assault by using the melody arm on his hand. The former sound-nin then quickly twisted his hand and grabbing the boy by his wrist, he turned his arm the other way around, making the blonde flip and land hard on the ground.

While Toramaru was still laying on the ground, Naraku attacked as well, aiming a spin kick into Teigo's face, yet the jounin managed to avoid the assault by ducking under it and then he immediately rose back up, making the young Uchiha's leg rest on his shoulder. Surprised by this, the boy didn't manage to react in time and before he knew it, he received a powerful elbow in the stomach and then hit in the chin, thus making him fall backwards and land on the ground just like his friend did a moment earlier.

Using the short time Teigo had to sacrifice to knock down Naraku, Toramaru shoot back to his feet and unleashed the storm of attacks at the jounin, each aimed to block one of his chakra openings, but to the blonde's great annoyance, the former sound-nin managed to avoid all of them by either hitting the boy's wrists, thus throwing the assault of course, or by simply dodging in time.

However the son of Hokage kept pushing and forced his opponent to take several steps back. As his attacks speed up, Teigo decided to break the fight and jumped back, away form the young ninja.

Toramaru's eyes widen as he saw the masked jounin somersaulting in the air and landing safely on the water, standing on it with his feet without drowning. "What the hell?" demanded the blonde as he pointed at his instructor. "How in the world are you doing that?"

"What, you mean they don't teach you tree climbing in the Academy?" asked Teigo, making his voice sound superior, which annoyed the son of Hokage even further. "This is basically the same, only in stead of releasing just a specific among of chakra and keeping it at that level, you must keep on expelling the appropriate amount constantly…"

"Sounds easy!" Toramaru shoot back. "Just wait, I'm coming for you!" and with that he charged straight at the lake, gathering chakra in his feet. However, the instant he took a single step into the lake, he went to the bottom with a loud 'splash', making the former sound-nin cover his eyes with his hand in embarrassment.

Teigo only shook his head softly and then his eyes stopped at Naraku, who was just finishing a set of hand seals. "_If I'll do this, the only way he can dodge is to sink!_" the young Uchiha thought to himself. "_This time I'll manage to perform it!_" and with that he gathered air in his lungs, only to release it a second later, but in the form of a huge fireball that came right at the surprised jounin: "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

The former sound-nin only widen his eyes as he instantly retreated chakra from his feet and went bellow the water surface, thus making the flames go right above him. However Toramaru was already waiting for him and immediately the blonde launched an attack with his opened palm, aimed at the man's chest.

"_As long as he's underwater, he won't use that thing on his arm!_" the son of Hokage thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes. "_There's no sound bellow the water surface!_" but to his great dismal, Teigo did not required his melody arm to save himself. The jounin just somersaulted in the water and kicking the boy's hand from above, he once more made Toramaru's attack change its course.

Before the blonde even manage to do anything, the former sound-nin threw his other leg and him, delivering a powerful kick in the face, which send the son of Hokage a little back. Teigo then swam to the top and instantly jumped out of the pond, landing safely on the ground just few meters away from Naraku.

A moment later Toramaru came up to the surface and struggled back to his feet while glaring at the jounin. As the three ninja stood in front of each other, Buryaku suddenly appeared next to the two boys and with a calm 'Can we talk?' she dragged them by their shirts into the bushes, leaving Teigo alone in the meadow.

"What the hell are you doing?" demanded Naraku as he looked at the kunoichi the instant she let them go. "We almost had him!" but as he said so, the lazy girl only looked at him with pity, making the young Uchiha scratch the back of his head. "So what do you want?"

"I've been observing you guys for a while now and came to a simple conclusion:…" began Buryaku calmly with a little sleepy voice. "You guys will never be able to get those bells. Not at this rate at least. The way I see it, that guy isn't even using half of his real strength to hold you two off and still you failed to land a single blow on him…"

"We kinda know" responded Toramaru annoyed. "We were there!"

"I take it you have an idea concerning how we could get a hold of those bells?" Naraku asked the kunoichi, ignoring his friend. The lazy girl only nodded and then announced: "I have a plan that might help us achieve our objective. It's going to be troublesome, but if we won't do this, we won't be able to get those bells…"

"You're missing one thing here" noticed the son of Hokage, calming down: "There are only two bells. Even if we go for them, all three of us, one will still land without having one and thus be send back to the Academy…"

"Yeah and if we won't work together, we're all be listening to Iruka-sensei's troublesome lessons" Buryaku replied, making the blonde instantly quiet down. "However I don't suppose that's the case either. Didn't it even crossed your mind? We've been divided into three-man teams. Why would they do that, if someone would have to end up returning to the Academy in the first place?"

"The way you put, it does make some sense" stated Naraku after giving what the girl said a moment of thought. He exchanged glances with Toramaru and as the blonde nodded, the young Uchiha turned towards the kunoichi: "So, what's your plan?"

"_Those brats have been in those bushes for a while now_" Teigo thought to himself as he stood with his arms crossed. "_What are they up to?_" and just as that question appeared in his mind, tens of Naraku came out of the bushes surrounding him, charging straight at the jounin with their fist ready: "Oh come on, I was hoping for something original!"

The instant he said so, he dodged to his left, thus avoiding the incoming punch and delivered his knee into the first clone's stomach, making it disappear in the cloud of white smoke. The bushins kept on coming and soon Teigo found himself backing away again, while successfully blocking every, single attack.

As he came close to the shadow that a nearby cast, he notice that it suddenly extended, almost as if it was trying to pierce through his shadow. The former sound-nin's eyes widen in surprise as he immediately jumped into the air and propping his hand on the head of one of Naraku's clone, he bounced of it, away from the shadow's reach.

"_That must've been this whole Shadow Mimic I heard about_" Teigo thought to himself as he landed safely on the ground few meters away. Instantly he found himself side-stepping to his right in order to avoid the attack with an opened palm from Toramaru, who suddenly charged at him from behind.

In a flash the jounin grabbed the blonde by the back of his shirt and tossed him straight at the incoming clones, making two of Narakus disappear in the cloud of white smoke. However, in a flash, more bushins came at him and once more Teigo was being pushed back by the storm of attacks.

As he kept on getting closer to the bushes, another shadow came out of it at him. The former sound-nin's eyes only widen in surprise as he quickly threw the hand with the melody arm on it to the ground, making the sound wave lift up several stones that surrounded him, making some of Naraku clones get dispelled.

"_Just now it was that girl's shadow!_" Teigo realized as the stones covered him from the young shinobi view. "_The shadows cast by the trees and bushes around must allow her to extend her range, thus making it not problem for her to attack from any side of the bushes. If I wanna stay clear from her technique, I need to locate myself in the center of the meadow. Only there will I be out of her reach!_"

"How the hell did he do that?" demanded Naraku as he pointed at the stones that just been lifted up. Toramaru only narrowed his eyes before replying: "It'd appear that I was right: that thing on his hand somehow allows him to control sound. Most likely, just now he created a powerful sound wave that hit the ground. High sounds can be destructive, so its not that surprising he managed to dig a hole in the ground with such an attack, making the rocks move aside and pop out from the ground…"

The instant he finished that sentence, Teigo jumped out of his hiding spot and landed exactly in the middle of the meadow, getting into his fighting position to show the two boys that he's ready to fight. In a flash Toramaru along with Naraku and his clones charged at him, ready to fight.

The first bushin that came within the man's range received a powerful spin-kick into the face, which made it disappear in the cloud of white smoke. Another clone, that tried to get the jounin from behind, got hit by the masked ninja's elbow, which made him take few steps back and share the fate of the previous Naraku.

As the next clone aimed a spin-kick of its own, Teigo simply ducked under it and delivered a hit with an opened palm into its chin. As the smoke covered the man's view, Toramaru saw that as his chance and launched an attack with an opened palm of his own, only to have his hand grabbed by the wrist by the former sound-nin.

The blonde was far from surrendering however and immediately raised his knee, aiming to hit his opponent in the stomach, yet the jounin saw that coming and easily blocked the assault with his other, free hand.

A tiny smirk appeared behind his mask as Teigo attempted to launch a knee of his own, but the smile quickly disappeared as he found himself incapable of moving his leg. His eyes widen and soon narrowed slightly at the realization: "_I… can't move my body at all!_"

"Great job Buryaku!" yelled Naraku cheerfully. "Kagemane success!"

And as Teigo settled is eyes at the young Uchiha, all the clones began disappearing, leaving only the original Naraku and a clone that stood on the man's left, which shadow was falling on his. A second later that bushin also got covered in white smoke, only to reveal that it was the lazy girl all along. The jounin's eyes widen again as he finally figured out what happened:

"So that mass Kage Bushin never meant to defeat me… it was just to hide the fact that you used Henge to look like that other brat and using the crowd of the look-alikes to get close enough to perform your own technique…"

"That would be a bull's eye, Teigo-sensei…" Buryaku replied calmly.

"And now those bells are ours!" announced Toramaru as he grabbed the two bells from the man's belt. "What do you say to that, you asshole?" he asked with a smile, which instantly turned to a frown as the man standing before him suddenly disappeared into a cloud of white smoke, making the bells he held in his hand follow.

"What the…? Kage Bushin?" and completely confused the son of Hokage turned around to look at the spot where the lift up stones still stood. The real Teigo slowly walked out from between them, still having the bells tied to his belt. "_So when he covered himself from our view he made a clone so that we'd give it all of our attention!_"

"Well, I must admit that I'm quite impressed" announced Teigo as he walked closer to the young shinobi. "I didn't saw your strategy coming. I just made that clone to make things more interesting and if it was the real body, those bells would've been yours by now. Congratulations. Who knows, maybe I'll grow to like you guys just yet…" and just then the alarm clock went off, making the jounin turn around to look at it. "And your time is up…"

"Dammit!" cursed Naraku as he tightened his fists in anger. "All this work and we still failed!"

"I believe that is for me to decide" the former sound-nin replied, gaining the attention of the three. "I'll admit that at the start I'd have never thought that you guys could pass this test. You two…" with that he turned to the boys. "Shown that you're capable of working together. That's a very important trait in a team, however you completely forgotten about your third teammate" and with that he pointed at Buryaku. "Yet, at the end, all three of you joined forces, which I find quite interesting. Tell me, do you know the reason for having only two bells?"

"The reason?" Toramaru repeated, completely clueless.

"I take that as a 'no'…" announced Teigo with a smile. "Let me put it differently: with just two bells, do you think it's possible for all three of you to get promoted to gennin?"

"Well, there's three of us, so having two bells kinda makes it obvious at least one would be failed" noticed Naraku in a way that made it seem like he was surprised he had to explain something that obvious to a jounin.

"You're only half right" the man replied and made a dramatic pause before continuing. "It's true that if each of you came at me alone and even being strong enough to take the bell, one would end up empty-handed, however there's a special trick to it. I recall saying that those of you who won't get their bells will be failed… I never said what I considered 'getting your bell'…"

"I still don't get it" announced Toramaru still totally confused.

"Okay, the let me put it this way: two of you come at me, working together, but you manage to take only one bell away from me. Since both of you had an impact on the outcome, how should I decide which one is to fail and which to pass? Should I just judge it by look at which of the two grabbed the bell and ignore the other who helped the successful one get that bell?"

"Wait, so you mean?" began Naraku, finally understanding, while Teigo only nodded: "It's exactly as you picture it. This test was never meant to test your skills. The sole purpose of this exam was to see how good your teamwork was and the reason for only two bells was to divide the group. That way I'd know which of you wouldn't mind sacrificing themselves for the good of their team… and you three actually proved that you can think of others beside yourselves…"

"Wait, thus that mean…?" Toramaru asked unsure, but the jounin didn't even wait for him to finish and for the first time showing them a happy face, he announced: "Yup… you three have just passed!"

"Alright!" instantly the blonde threw his hand to the sky, while Naraku began jumping up and down. Only Buryaku didn't seem to care at all. Teigo gave them a minute to calm down and then, walking away, he informed them: "Starting tomorrow we'll go on a team related missions, so bring all your shinobi tools. We'll meet up at the bridge at six in the morning… oh, and one last thing… good job, brats…" and with that he was gone, leaving the three to celebrate.

However neither of them knew that the road ahead was still very long and hard. Or maybe it was more that they didn't care at that point? They just made the first step and a long journey has just began.

_**---to be continued… maybe (it depends on you)---**_

And so this chapter ends. Hope you enjoyed it and that you'll leave a review once you're done reading. I'd also like to wish you all HAPPY EASTER and ROUND EGGS, just in case the next chapter (if there will be one) won't appear before that time.

Take care and may the Rasengan be with you!


	11. New Mission and New Mysteries

Wow, it's been over two months since I last update this. Sorry for the long absence, but collage has been a real horror these past, few months and only recently did I got enough free time to sit down to it and finish this chappie.

To be honest it's not exactly how I pictured it. Basically it deals with a lot of info about Teigo's past. At first I was planning to reveal a lot less at this point of the story, but oh well. This chapter may seemed a bit rushed and that is the effect of me reorganizing it to the point to give more details about Teigo.

As always I wanna thank everyone who took their time to review the previous chapter. It means a lot. I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chappie and hope that you'll find this one worth waiting for (especially since I won't update unless I get reviews).

And now, without further to do, here's the newest chapter of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire":

**Chapter #11: New Mission and New Mysteries!**

_**Title Page:**_ team number one is riding a huge snake: Buryaku is holding the laces, Toramaru is catching Naraku, who fell off, by the shirt, while Teigo stands right behind the lazy girl with his arms crossed

Teigo jumped from one tree branch onto another. He kept on moving forward, completely ignoring the branches and bushes that scratched him, leaving small cuts all over him. He embraced a small objected, wrapped in a black blanket tighter as he looked over his shoulder, noticing that the four men that were chasing him were getting closer.

A sudden sound alarmed him just in time. He leaned to his left, thus avoiding a cut from a kunai that flew right at him from nowhere. However the maneuver made him lose balance and drop to the ground with his head first. Upon flipping in mid-air, he managed to land safely on his feet and gaze up to see a certain, sliver-haired man, wearing glasses and a black and grey outfit. But the thing that drew the most attention in him was a headband on his forehead with a note drawn on it.

"This is really disappointing, Teigo" the man announced, adjusting his glasses. "For you, out of all the people, to betray us like this. And for what?" and with that he gazed at the blanket that the masked ninja still held in his hands. "We're gonna need that back…"

At this point the four men chasing him caught up and immediately surrounded him, blocking any, possible way of escape. Teigo looked around, realizing that if he wanted to get out, he needed to fight. He gently placed the blanket under a nearby tree and then settled his eyes on the sliver-haired man again.

"So you won't give up" noticed the man calmly with a sigh. "It's pretty regrettable… if it's possibly, Orochimaru-sama asked me not to kill you. Let me ask you something: do you really expect that you can win?"

"Not really" admitted Teigo, raising his right arm. "But it's either fight or allow you to drag me back there. Out of the two, I prefer dying in a fight, in stead of dying and getting reborn as that bastard's puppet! There was a time when I'd follow him blindly, even if he'd order me to jump into a fire! And this is how he repays me? And do you believe that you're irreplaceable, Kabuto? Sooner or later, out of necessity or whatever reason he'll find suitable, you'll end up in a situation just like me… or maybe even worst…"

"Perhaps I will" replied the silver-haired man calmly, once more adjusting his glasses. "Perhaps I won't. However you won't be able to know the answer to this one" and with that he charged straight at Teigo at an incredible speed, allowing the masked man only to block the first punch with his melody arm.

Teigo instantly shoot up. His body was covered in sweat as he breathed heavily. His eyes traveled to his right, where sunrays began entering his room through the window. He then gazed at his hands, now completely uncovered, that were full of cuts and scars. He just shook his head while getting up from the bed and walked, dressed only in short pants, through his apartment. Without his outfit, one could easily see that his entire body was full of all sort of scars: not just cuts, but also burns and bruises and a large, black snake tattoo that went down his back.

He stopped before the mirror and looked deep into his own eyes, now calm as usual: "Stupid dream" he said to himself with a weak tone of anger showing in his voice. He glanced away for a split second and staring into the wall, he said, this time with concern: "But this nightmare won't end, will it? The only chance for me to make them stop slipped long ago… I guess this is my punishment. But even taking everything I did into consideration, did I really deserved all this, Mabui-chan?"

---A little later, elsewhere---

Toramaru stretched himself as a sudden urge to fall asleep came over him. He gazed at Buryaku, who was snoring loudly, while she slept, propped against the rail of the bridge. The blonde's eye twitched with annoyance as he then turned towards the horizon, where the sun only began rising. Crossing his arms, he announced loudly, boiling inside: "What the hell is this all about, making us wake up so early? This mission that Teigo-sensei mentioned yesterday better be worth all the trouble, coz if it's another dog walking I'm gonna flip!"

"Just relax" Naraku advised his friend as he kept his hands in his pockets. "Either way you have no power over what assignment we get. What good will worrying and getting angry over it do?" he asked rhetorically and then turned to the other side of the bridge, where the jounin instructor suddenly appear.

"Oh, you're all already here" Teigo noticed as he walked over to the trio. He then spotted Buryaku sleeping and a single drop of sweat run down his face before he turned towards his two, awake subordinates: "I'm just heading back from the Hokage Tower and we already have our new mission assigned: we are to bring classified documents to a contact of the Iwagakure in Stone Country…"

"A delivery mission?" asked Toramaru disappointed. "I was hoping for some action…"

"Actually, you should be glad I've managed to convince your Hokage to allow me to take you guys out of the village" responded Teigo simply, cutting the boy off. "After all you're still rookies and it's not safe for you to leave the village" and with that his eyes meet with Naraku's for a split second before he went on: "Now, wake Buryaku up and lets get going…"

---A little later at the Hokage Tower---

"Are you sure it was a good idea to let them go out of the village this soon?" Sasuke asked as he looked at Naruto, who sat behind his desk, resting his chin on his hands. "They still lack in many aspects and Stone Country is far away..."

The blonde didn't answer. He just stood up and slowly walked towards the window. He gazed through it and after a longer moment, he decided to speak up: "We can't keep them in the village all the time. Sooner or later we'd have to let them out. Besides, by allowing Teigo to move outside the village, we may be able to obtain more information about those people with weird tattoos…"

"If you ask me, you're way too optimistic… to start off I still can't find a good reason for you to trust Teigo so much. He was Konoha's enemy. Heck, before my very eyes he killed my entire squad. Who knows, if he wanted, he may even be able to match me…"

"That may be so" admitted Naruto calmly, still not turning away from the window. "And I know that he doesn't seem like a loyal leaf-nin… in actuality I don't suppose he is… but this is the one thing you can be sure he'll bet his life for. Those three are the safest when they're with him, because in that matter he certainly won't back away even one step…"

---Later still, village in Stone Country---

"Wow, you can seriously buy anything around here" noticed Toramaru as he looked around the street, filled with all sorts of wagons, each holding different merchandise. Looking up one would see that the street was also decorated with tall, white lamps that held candles inside small, glass cages on top that enlighten the city after dark.

Aside from the wagons, many of the houses near the road also had signs representing different workshops. Buryaku recognized dew blacksmiths and taverns for the travelers. As she followed the blonde in observing the wagons, she noticed several swords and axes laid out for sale, some of the decorated with golden markings or jewels. Here and there one could buy some simple clothes or the works of local craftsmen like wooden figures or masks. She even spotted a wagon with jewelry and one with colorful sauces in large baskets.

Teigo stopped at one of the wagons and bought some food. He gave away equal shares to his subordinates, announcing that there's still one day trip to their meeting spot, so they should conserve it. As they walked on, a sudden voice made the jounin stop in his tracks, almost like he got paralyzed: "Teigo-san, I didn't expect to see you again…"

Toramaru instantly glanced in the direction the voice came and saw a girl only few years older then himself, with long, dark-blue hair, made into a Chinese hairdo, leaning out of her tent, which apparently was selling some sort of good luck charms. The girl had violet eyes, was wearing a dark-blue kimono, had a beautiful, golden necklace around her neck, and, as the blonde thought, was very attractive. As he dozed off, starting to blush, Naraku only shook his head at his teammate's behavior: "_Good thing Garou isn't here, otherwise this would get embarrassing…_" he thought to himself, while sweat dropping.

"I'm sorry, but I do not recall us meeting before" Teigo replied calmly after a moment of silence as he turned towards the girl. "And this is my first time visiting this town. Forgive my rudeness, but I do believe you're mistaking me for someone I'm not…"

"No, I'm sure it's you!" the girl announced cheerfully as she pointed her finger at him. "You're still wearing the same outfit you did al those years ago and carry this… melody arm, was it? The only things that changed is the fact that I'm older and you're traveling with three kids in stead of that other girl… what was her name again?" and with that the blue-haired girl tried to remember something, but Teigo interrupted her trail of thoughts:

"I'm sorry, but I really don't know…"

"Sure you do! You couldn't have forgotten! I mean, you're the one who gave me this necklace, remember? I'm Aiko!" the girl asked, holding out her neck decoration right in front of Teigo's face. The jounin went silent for a moment. Toramaru noticed a sad expression crossing his face for a split second, yet in a flash the older ninja regained his usual posture and once more glancing at the girl, he repeated: "Surely you're mistaken. I've never seen this thing before, nor do I recall meeting anyone who'd look like you. Now, please excuse me, but my companions and I have a task to fulfill" and with that he began walking away, with the three, confused gennin following him.

They walked in silence. Only after they left the town behind did Toramaru decided to speak up, curious about the same thing his other teammates wanted to ask about as well: "Teigo-sensei, that girl just now… who was it? And what was that necklace that you…"

"It's nothing!" the man responded, for the first time ever the trio hearing him raise his voice. Once more he quickly returned to his usual self and as calm as always, he added: "I already told that girl that she confused me with someone she knew. I've been only once in Stone Country and never in these parts. And even if what would I be doing in a shop that sells good-luck charms?" and with that he speed up, trying to avoid further conversation.

"But…" the blonde began, yet was instantly quiet down by Buryaku, who covered his mouth and whispered into his ear: "Are you really this dumb? Obviously Teigo-sensei does not want to talk about it and as much as I'd like to know what that was all about as well, if you'll keep pushing, you'll only result in him deciding to keep it to himself. In these kind of situations it's best to just let it go and wait until the other person will be ready to tell you his secret. It's troublesome, but that is the best thing you can do at this point…"

Toramaru only exchanged quick glances, while the jounin stopped: "We'll stay here for the night, but we'll head out first thing in the morning so get some sleep. If we'll hurry, we'll reach our meeting spot by the end of tomorrow" and with that he walked into the tavern that was just outside of the forest, their route for tomorrow.

However not all, young shinobi decided to listen to their instructor. As the night fell, Toramaru and Naraku sneaked out of the tavern and disappeared in the darkness of the night, heading back to the village.

Aiko slowly walked over to the door as loud knocking filled her house. She pquickly put on her kimono and opened the door, noticing two boys standing in the dark street, lightened only by the lamps. She gave the two a questioning look and upon bowing, Naraku spoke up: "Forgive our late visit, but there's something we'd like to ask you about…"

"You want to know about that masked man you travel with?" Aiko repeated as all three of them now sat next to the table with tea on it. She took a small dip and looked the two boys over, still a little suspicious. "If you want to know about him so much, why don't you just ask him? I shouldn't reveal his secrets, considering he went so far as to ignore our meeting from those years back…"

"Well, it's a bit complicated, but he never really said anything about himself and the thing is" began Toramaru, carefully picking his words while he scratched the back of his head. "Well, the thing is that he used to be our enemy and we're not really sure if we can trust him! We have no idea why he came to our side nor if he really did so! Plus… we don't like him…"

Aiko giggled at his last statement and placed her teacup on the table. She connected her hands before herself and after a moment of thought, she announced: "It was about seven years ago. I remembered that, because that was the first time every that a ninja came to visit my mother's store. It was a big surprise, since we didn't believe shinobi believed in things like luck or fortune telling. I was only about ten years old back then when he came in, along with a girl that seemed his age…"

"Yeah, that girl, do you have any idea who that could be?" asked Naraku gentle, making the girl trailed off in her thoughts for another moment. After awhile, she shook her head in disagreement, before continuing: "I'm not sure… the two could've been a pair or siblings. Either way they seemed pretty close. I do recall that the girl was a bit wider then a typical girl should be…"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Toramaru nervously, which earned his an elbow from Naraku, which was suppose to remind him of manners. Aiko glanced over at the blonde, as she replied: "Well, considering she had a really pretty face, I'd say it's safe to assume she was pregnant, although she seemed only a little older then I am now…"

"Pregnant at that age?" Naraku's eyes widen at the statement, but Toramaru only announced as calm as ever: "It's not all that surprising. My mother was around that age when she gave birth to my older brother and considering she's the same age as your mom, it'd mean your oldest sibling came to this world when Sakura-san was even younger then that. The thing that interests me is why would they come to a place like this?"

"Well, as they entered, they stated that they're looking for a pair of rings" Ako replied almost immediately. "I remember that was really important to both of them, but since none had any money, they decided to trade and thus they gave me the necklace of that girl for two, simple rings…"

"Rings?" Naraku repeated confused. "What's that all about?"

"I don't suppose that is any of your business" they heard a familiar voice coming from behind and as they turned around, they saw Teigo standing right behind them with anger showing on his face: "I thought I gave you an order to stay in the tavern until morning. By disobeying my direct command, you earned yourselves a big punishment once we get back to Konoha! Now get out of my sight before I'll really get pissed!" and without a moment waste the two ran out of the house, each throwing a quick 'goodbye' to Aiko.

Teigo then gazed at the girl, making her look at the floor. He slowly walked over to her, while he apologized: "I'm sorry, Teigo-san, but those kids really wanted to know and…" but at this point he interrupted her, by placing his hand on her shoulder: "Don't worry about that. They're the ones I'm mad at, not you… forgive my cold treatment from earlier, but this is the part of my past I wanna keep to myself. No-one should learn about it, considering that is my punishment for what I did…"

The girl once more lowered her head, not sure what she should say. The one to break the silence again was Teigo: "That necklace… I have the money now, but never got a chance to return to these parts. Since I got here, it's best to use this opportunity. But while we make the trade, how about you tell me how you were doing all those years? And what happened to your mother?"

---The next day---

"Two rings?" Buryaku repeated in a whisper as she, Toramaru and Naraku walked few meters behind Teigo. The two told her the story from the other night, making the lazy interest bloom again: "Why? And more importantly: since they did bought them, where are they now? It's safe to assume one was for that girl and the other for Teigo-sensei, yet he's not wearing any rings…"

"I'm more interested in that pregnant girl" announced Naraku, also quietly. "Like why was Teigo-sensei with her? You think it was his girlfriend or something? And if she really was pregnant, you think it was Teigo-sensei's kid?"

"Well, the truth is we really know nothing about him" concluded Buryaku, gazing at the jounin for a moment: "What he did before he became a leaf-nin and why did he became one in the first place? We don't even…" but before she could finish, the masked man interrupted her trail of thought:

"Get out of here!" Teigo yelled in an ordering tone, making all gennin gaze at him confused. Buryaku only managed a weak 'why', but before she could even finish that question, the jounin turned towards them and with a serious face, he announced: "I gave you an order, dammit! You wanna disobey me again? You're gennin and thus you gotta learn to listen to higher ranked shinobi! Get out of my face or you'll end up dead! Now!"

With the last moment of hesitation, Buryaku and Naraku fulfilled the order, grabbing Toramaru and taking him along. As the young shinobi disappeared between the trees, Teigo once more gazed at the road behind them and narrowed his eyes as a sudden blur came right to him.

In a flash he swung his arm and emitting a powerful sound wave made the tree to his right crack into pieces, making a mysterious figure retreat and land on a tree branch of the tree next to it. As the figure stopped, Teigo managed to take a closer look and upon realizing who it was, he just narrowed his eyes even more: "Sorry, my friend, but if you want those kids, you'll have to get through me first…"

"And since when are you so faithful to your companions, Teigo?" the figure responded. It turned out to be a boy around eighteen years old with long, white hair with a small braid made out of them falling on the left side of his face. His eyes were violet and his skin was incredibly pale. He wore a white robe that uncovered his chest, and light blue pants. "This is truly unlike you... you, who betrayed the man who gave you everything…"

"And you on the other hand are ready to do anything for him, Hakkotsu" the masked jounin replied calmly, getting into his fighting stance. "It's me who doesn't understand you. Out of all the people I knew, you should be the one to hate him the most, considering what he did to you…"

"Hate him for giving me power?" the boy asked surprised, holding out his arm. "Normally I'd just ignore all this, but considering you're a traitor, I'd feel greatly unsatisfied if I were to just leave you alive. For betraying our master… I'll kill you" and as he said so, a sharp-ended bone began coming from his palm, pointed at Teigo.

---Same time, a little further---

"What the hell is going on?" asked Naraku confused. "All of a sudden we're running away? From what? And what was that noise just now? Wasn't that Teigo-sensei's sound wave attack?" and with that he turned towards his teammates, but in stead of replying, Toramaru only yelled, throwing his hands to the sides: "Stop!"

As the three gennin did as told, trees that were just before them exploded and felt, blocking their way. Buryaku, with a calm face, yet a little nervous tone, analyzed the situation quickly, and came to a simple conclusion: "Explosive tags… this is an ambush!"

A second later weak clapping could be heard and as the trio turned in the direction it came from, they saw a man around twenty years old with medium-length, black hair, made into dreadlocks and hazel eyes. He wore a brown t-shirt and black, a little baggy, pants. Toramaru noticed a lot of rings on his fingers as well as two hilts of the swords appearing above his shoulders.

"I'm pretty amazed to see you noticed my trap" he announced calmly with a smile. "Must be the work of that famous Byakugan I've heard so much about. I do hope that you can do a lot more then that, coz I'm still slightly annoyed with the fact that it wasn't me who got to fight that asshole, Teigo. My name is Chitagana Yobiko and I'm afraid I need only one of you alive and thus, the other two will die… by my hand."

_**---mysterious enemies appear… their purpose?---**_

And this concludes this chapter. I really hope you enjoyed it and that you'll leave me a review once you're done. As always I'll put a character profile here, but considering everyone from the 'main' team was already done, the only one left (besides other gennin) is Teigo and since this chapter was somewhat about him:

_Name:_ Kinuta Teigo

_Family:_ he's a younger brother of Dosu, however aside from that nothing else is known in that matter. He prefers not to talk about his past and thus very little information is known about his possible relatives. Once asked about any, living relative, he replied there is none

_Bloodline limit:_ none

_Clan's Abilities:_ use of ninjutsu related to sound, using melody arm

_Birth date:_ 23rd of May

_Age:_ currently 27 years old

_Blood type:_ A

_Favorite food:_ octopus

_Favorite quote:_ bonds, ties, respect… after everything, you still end up alone

_Favored fighting style:_ taijutsu with the use of ninjutsu and his melody arm

_Village:_ Konoha (Hidden Leaf), previously Oto (Hidden Sound)

_Rank:_ jounin

_Team:_ he leads the team consisting of Nara Buryaku, Uchiha Naraku and Uzumaki Toramaru

_Techniques (used so far):_ Kage Bushin no Jutsu

_First appearance:_ 8th chapter

And so this chapter is concluded. I really hope you did enjoy it. Thanks for reading and until next time, hopefully.


	12. Sounds Filling the Air

Yes, after being on hold for almost a year, this story is back (ironically, as part of three-year-anniversary of my other, next generation fic, surprising called "Naruto: Next Generation" XD). I was thinking about submitting this Thursday, but since I made you guys wait so long for, I figured it's best to just put it on, since I've completed it.

I wanna thank everyone who reviewed this story up till now. If you decided to get back to it, I hope that you'll find this chapter worth waiting for or, at the very least, enjoyable. I'm not sure if any of the 'old' readers will show up, but if the popularity of this fic will prove to be high, it'll return to being updated on a regular basis, just like NNG.

With such a break in updating, I don't suppose you guys wish to read any more of my blabbering, so without further delay, here's the newest chapter of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire"!

**Chapter #12: Sounds Filling the Air**

_**Title Page:**_ the band: Toramaru is out front, singing, Naraku plays the bass to the blonde's left in the back, Buryaku is sleeping behind her drums, while Teigo sweat drops at the sight, playing his guitar

"For betraying our master…" Hakkotsu began as a sharp-ended one came out of his palm, pointed at Teigo. "And for disrespecting him… I'll give you death!" and in a flash the bone shoot of from his body. The white-haired man managed to grab it in mid-flight however and holding it as a sword he charged straight at the former sound-nin.

Instinctually Teigo jumped back, avoiding the first swing of the bone katana, but at the same time Hakkotsu jumped up and somersaulting in mid-air, he aimed an axe kick into the former sound-nin's head. Coming to a sliding stop, the masked man blocked the assault with his melody arm, stopping the kick before it reached its target, and making the white-haired man freeze for a moment in the air. Instantly the Oto shinobi bended back and as his opened palm now faced his opponent, another bone shoot from it, in an attempt to pierce right through Teigo's chest.

Having no, other way to dodge, Teigo jumped up, blasting Hakkotsu's bone katana away with a swing and making the bone bullet fly under him as he made his legs split. In a flash he threw a punch into the sound-nin's face, yet upon landing, the white-haired man spun on his foot and bending back, placing his upper body parallel to the ground, making his opponent's fist go right before his face.

Without a second waste, Hakkotsu cut from below, aiming to cut his opponent in two, yet Teigo managed to twist his leg and bending his knee, grabbed the Oto ninja's bone with his leg, stopping it halfway. As he landed on the ground, he spun on his feet, mimicking his adversary, thus making the bone katana flew out of the white-haired man's grip and slide several meters away from the two fighters.

Hakkotsu immediately straightened up and aimed a spin kick at Teigo, yet the leaf-nin managed to duck under it and threw an opened palm aimed at the Oto shinobi's chin. The white-haired man once more leaned back and grabbing the assault arm with his hands, he spun on his foot yet again, tossing the masked jounin over his shoulder, making him somersault and land safely on his feet few meters further.

The sound-nin didn't waste time however and charged again with sharp bones growing out from both his hands as he came closer to his opponent. Teigo quickly jumped forward and spinning in mid-air, he filled his melody arm with chakra. The spin made the special protector cut through air, unleashing a loud sound that hit Hakkotsu's ears, forcing him to slow down, just to keep his balance. That was all the masked jounin needed.

In a fraction of a second he picked out several shuriken and charging forward at his opponent, he tossed them at the white-haired man, following pursuit. As the shinobi stars came closer, Hakkotsu managed to regain his senses at least to a point to use the spiky bones of his hands to deflect the incoming weapons, yet wasn't fast enough to react to Teigo's charge and got his stomach rammed with the masked jounin's elbow, thus fling back a few meters before flipping and coming to a sliding stop.

"_He actually landed a blow on me_" the white-haired man thought to himself as his eyes were still settled on his opponent. "_He's gotten stronger then the last time we fought. I guess that first order of business will be to get rid of that stupid, melody arm of his. After that, beating him down shouldn't present that much of a problem…_"

"Sorry, but I won't let you have those brats" Teigo announced with a cold voice as he raised his hand, making the melody arm cover the lower part of his face. Surprisingly for him however, Hakkotsu merely smirked at the statement, before replying: "And do you really suppose I came for revenge? Although I find it unbearable that I once considered someone like you a 'friend', running into you was just a convenient coincidence. Our objective lays within a different place…"

"_Looks like Naruto was right_" the masked jounin thought to himself as his eyes narrowed, only to widen as the last part of the white-haired man's response rang in his mind: "Our?"

"You mean to tell me you only just realized it?" the bone user asked, obviously satisfied. "Or could it be that you're so self-centered to think you're irreplaceable? Let me clue you in: this battle really is without meaning. Whether you live or die, it'll still be the same. Our mission… will be a success…"

--That time, elsewhere--

"My name is Chitagana Yobiko and I just need one of you alive, so the other two can kiss this world goodbye" stated the man as he stopped applauding them. In a flash he charged forward, appearing before Toramaru too fast for the blonde to do a thing. As a powerful kick in the face send the white-eyed boy flying back, Buryaku reached for her fans and swung them at the attacker, who quickly jumped out of the way, making the trees behind him get slashed by the wind.

"_He's fast_" the kunoichi concluded, narrowing her eyes slightly. "_And considering his age, he's also most likely of a higher rank then gennin. If he's to fight us one by one, then we're at a disadvantage. Our best hope is to attack him all at once. Plus he was here before us, so the possibility of him setting traps around the area is high. So what he's outnumbered, the ones on the losing side are us!_"

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Naraku called out, unleashing a powerful ball of fire at Yobiko, who was still in mid-air. As the flames came charging at him, he merely reached to his back, picking out twin weapons that could only be described as something between axe and chopper; long handles almost as long as their wielder himself reached to the sky, while huge, rectangular blades went down to the place the man held the weapons, each decorated with holes going down the place the blade connected with the handle.

With a quick swing of the blades, the fireball broke into hundreds of directions, the small sparks instantly vanquishing in the air, while the sound-nin landed safely on a nearby tree branch. Another swing on his right chopped made a powerful wave scourge the ground before hitting surprised Naraku death-center, sending him crushing hard against the tree.

Again Buryaku stepped into action, pushing one of her fans through the air, sending another slashing wind at Yobiko, but the man quickly threw his hands to the sides and in a flash the incoming tornado ripped and died down in the atmosphere: "_Just as I thought!_" the kunoichi concluded at the sight, while Toramaru took over.

With his hands tossed to the sides, the sound-nin was left with an opening for the blonde's Jyuken, making the boy threw an opened palm right to his face. With no other way to avoid the hit, Yobiko bended back, causing the assault to go before his face, but Toramaru was not done yet. Releasing chakra into the air, he managed to flip and spinning in mid-air, he came with a kick from above his opponent.

Letting his instincts take over, Yobiko bended back even more, grabbing the branch with the chakra in his feet, now hanging upside-down, while the gennin's kick hit the wood from the other side. Acting instantly, the sound-nin let go of the branch and somersaulting, he bounced off the trunk of the tree, coming with a swing of his blade at the blonde, which Toramaru managed to duck under.

However as the weapon went zooming over his head, a strange sensation hit his head, making it hurt like it was about to explode. This made the boy lose his balance and drop to his knee, leaving him open. Yobiko used this opportunity and kneeled the blonde straight in the face, sending him flying away, but Toramaru managed to recover in time and grab a nearby tree branch, landing safely on it in the next moment, few meters away from his opponents.

With a smirk appearing on his face, the sound-nin chopped off a branch right above him and spinning on his foot, he kicked it, sending the projectile at the boy. Seeing this, Toramaru went into a spin of his own, releasing chakra from his body. In a flash his figure got wrapped in a sphere, making the branch stop on it before reaching its target and as the blonde slowed down, it got blasted away, flying right past Yobiko that now flew at the young gennin.

As the branch passed his head, his eyes widen at the sizzling sound that rang in his ears at the very instant. Instantly he swung his left chopper while the branch exploded behind him, throwing him off course. To Toramaru's surprise, besides being blown off, the tag he attached to the branch didn't seem to make any damage. But he was about to change that as jumped down at the man, who barely landed on all fours safely on the ground.

Spotting the incoming blonde with a corner of his eye, Yobiko quickly struck his right chopper into the ground and lifting himself up using it, he got out of the boy's way, when his palm went for his back. Spinning on the blade still sunk into the surface, the sound-nin aimed a kick into the white-eyed gennin's head, but Toramaru reacted immediately, placing the palm he missed on the ground and propping himself on it, he blocked the man's leg with his own, throwing his other foot at his opponent's body, now stopped parallel to the ground.

At seeing this, Yobiko used his other chopper's flat side to block the assault and threw his free leg back in the attempt to kick the blonde. Having left hand still available, the leaf-nin used it to throw the attack off course and placing the two fighters in deadlock, they both jumped away, extending the distance between each other.

As each landed safely on the ground, they charged at the other again at a breaking speed. The instant they were inches away from each other, Yobiko spun his left chopper in his hand, making Toramaru's ears explode again and slip. As his body came falling to the ground, the sound-nin used his other weapon to cut the boy from above, but when the blade was about to reach its destination, a sudden burst of wind lifted up a cloud of dust, blocking his view and as the air cleared, the man's eyes narrowed at the sight that his chopper struck the ground, inches away from his opponent's body.

"_Air pressure_" he noticed, glancing at Buryaku, who now stood in a position clearly indicating she just swung her fan. "It was you…"

"Naturally" the young kunoichi replied. She was hoping to smile, but somehow she was unable to and in stead, she just went on: "The trick behind your weapons… I worked it out. You use the wind to carry your sound waves anyway you desire. That, in itself, isn't anything special. I saw Teigo-sensei do it with his melody arm, so it's not hard to guess that those holes on your choppers are what allows you to initiate the technique. But, if it was that simple, there would be no point for the weapons to be that big. Thus, a conclusion, the size is necessary for the jutsu to be executed to greater lengths…"

"Is that so?" Yobiko asked amused with a smile. "Care to explain what you mean?" he went on, completely ignoring Toramaru, who rolled away at that very moment. Seeing this, Buryaku decided to grant his wish: "It's all about tone and direction! Unlike Teigo-sensei's melody arm that allows him to use the air, your choppers merely let you use the wind to carry the sounds. If the wind is weak, in order to send your attack, you need to strengthen it with a more powerful sound wave, but that would make the attack more visible. It's like you did when you attacked Naraku. However, if the wind is strong, you can simply 'attach' your sounds to it and since they're adjusted with your chakra, you can bend the current according to your will, changing its direction. When you swing a blade this big, it's only natural that it'll create a wind current, so every time you weapon goes into motion, wind picks up and when wind goes through those holes, it creates noise. However the level of that sound is dependable on the angle the blade cuts the air and the strength the wind goes through each hole. Thanks to that you can create both barely hearable noise and high-pitch sounds, capable of breaking stone to pieces. But you can consider yourself unlucky, coz you're not the only wind user around here…"

"Oh, you're good, girly…" the man responded playfully. "I'm really gonna enjoy slaughtering you" but as those words hit the young kunoichi, another voice pierce the air: "To do that… you'll have to get through us first!" and with a look over his shoulder, he saw the other, two gennin coming at him from behind.

In a flash, Yobiko found himself being pushed back by a storm of attacks from the two boys, who kept on throwing kicks and punches at him, barely giving him time to block and dodge, left alone counter. With blocking another spin kick from Naraku that came at his head from the right, he quickly thrust his leg forward, sweeping the gennin off his feet, stopping Toramaru's opened palm that came at his heart with the flat side of his chopper, wield by his other hand.

As the assault hit the blade, Yobiko quickly swung his other weapon, releasing another sound, that roared in the blonde's ears, into the air, just before the chopper went right through the boy, cutting him in half. But as both parts of the gennin separated, an explosion of white smoke occurred, blocking the sound-nin's view: "_That brat knows Kage Bushin?_" he wondered surprised, while the ground below him rumbled.

In a flash another Toramaru shoot from beneath, thrusting his palm at the man's chest. With no time to dodge in time, Yobiko acted on instinct, rising his knee to make it smash into the boy's stomach, stopping the gennin in his tracks, while he gasped for air. Instantly his ears caught a whistling noise, making him swung his blade back to block the incoming kunai.

As his chopped covered his back, deflecting the flying knives, the blonde let out a yelp as another noise bombarded his ears. With his adversary left defenseless, the sound-nin turned to Naraku, delivering an elbow to the son of Hokage, making the boy's head tilt back.

"Katon: Housenka!" the young Uchiha suddenly called out, spitting out tens of small, fire bullets, each flying straight at the smirking Yobiko. The sound-nin simply charged forward and pushing his right chopper out front, he struck its tip into the ground, putting his body in rotation and blasting himself to the sky, he flew above the 'meteor shower', somersaulting over the assault.

Landing inches away from his opponent, he swiped at the boy's feet. Naraku's instincts completely took over, making him jump up, launching a spin kick in the process, aimed at the man's face. Seeing the leaf-nin's foot coming from his left, Yobiko ducked under, pushing his body into a spin and as his blades ripped the air, the noise hit the gennin's ears, shaking his body.

Incapable of dodging the blade that came at him, Naraku awaited the final blow, but his eyes only widen, be it from shock or pain, as in stead of cold steel, the chopper's handle slammed into his chest, kicking the air out of his lungs and sending him flying into the bushes.

As Naraku's figure disappeared in the bushes, Yobiko leaned to his right, dodging a kick from Toramaru that came from behind. As his attacked missed, the blonde instantly froze, now blasting his palm at the man's face, this time forcing him to bend back to avoid the blow. Seeing his opponent's stuck in a twisted position, the boy went into a spin and in a fraction of a second his body got engulfed by chakra again, forcing its edge against the sound-nin.

In a final attempt to minimize the damage, Yobiko replaced his choppers, putting them between himself and the sphere right before an invisible force blasted him back, his weapons taking most of the impact. Coming to a sliding stop, the man's eye twitched, yet still caught a glance of Toramaru charging forward, right at him. In a flash, the sound-nin brought his chopper down, aiming to split the boy's head from above, but to his surprise, the gennin just strafed to his right, unfazed completely, throwing his palm at his adversary.

"_My sound didn't work?_ Yobiko asked surprised, quickly jumping back and thrusting his leg to the side, making it connect with Toramaru's face, sending the boy flying back. Only then did he noticed small cuts on his left hand, which he didn't felt before. His eyes narrowed at the realization: "_Right, it's that girl! She used weak wind so that I wouldn't notice her doing so. Apparently, she's capable of extending the strength of even the weakest current. She used the air pressure to through my waves off course, just like before…_"

But his thoughts were cut short as Toramaru flipped a couple of times before his body hit the ground, allowing him to land safely on the ground and resume his assault. Seeing this, Yobiko cut from below, but before he could execute the attack completely, he was forced to jump back as a powerful wind came at him. With slashes marking the ground and trees where the tornado went, the blonde boy came right through the scourged area, once more unleashing his Gentle Fist at the sound-nin.

With Buryaku still ready to use her technique, Yobiko made a desperate move and striking his choppers to the ground, he lifted himself, making the surprised Toramaru speed below him, while his body froze parallel to the ground. With that, he rose his weapons from the surface and went into a spin, kicking the blonde in the back of his head. The instant his feet touched the ground, he jumped away again as a rumbling sound filled the air, announcing another of the lazy kunoichi's Slashing Winds.

"_He didn't cut me!_" Naraku yelled in his mind, breathing heavily, while he slowly emerged from the bushes. "_That time, he could've killed me and yet, in stead of doing so, he twisted his weapon in the m\last moment, hitting me with only the handle! When he fought my clone disguised as Toramaru, he didn't hesitate to split him in two and as long as Buryaku doesn't interfere, he has no interest in her. The one he needs… it's me! He came for me!_" and as the realization struck, his eyes rose at Yobiko, drilling into the former sound-nin.

As calm as always, the man glanced back at him, his face not showing any emotion, but the young Uchiha could feel slight disturbance in his opponent's confidence. This was all the proof he needed. Anger twisted his face at the thought he was the cause off all the trouble his friends had to went through. He could feel blood boiling within as his palms tightened into fists.

"You want me?" he called out, while he formed a single hand seal. "Then come! Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" he cried out, performing the technique. At the same time Toramaru charged at the man, yet before he could even get close, a hand suddenly rose in his way, making him stop. To the boy's surprise, the one to stop him, was Buryaku.

"What do you think you're doing?" the kunoichi asked, sending the other blonde an emotionless glance. "Go in like this and the result will be the same like previously. We can't beat this guy, he's at least Teigo-sensei's level. Since he's only after Naraku, then at any, given time he may decide we became too troublesome to deal with and simply kill us…"

"So what are you suggesting, we leave Naraku on his own?"

"No, pinhead!" the girl replied, slightly hurt, before continuing. "But by blindly going in, we'll only worsen the situation. Since Teigo-sensei didn't appear yet, it's safe to assume he won't be coming any time soon. We need to deal with this guy on our own. When it comes to skills, we're far below him. If we even hope to defeat him, we need a strategy…"

"You're the brains around here. Any ideas?" the white-eyed boy asked, looking deep into Buryaku's pupils. The kunoichi merely gazed back at their opponent as a single drop of sweat run down her face. Then she spoke up again, much less confident then before: "Just one. It's a gamble, but right now we don't have any choice, do we? Listen carefully… I have a plan…"

Yobiko smirked widely as he looked around. He was completely surrounded with a legion of Narakus, each ready to engage the enemy in battle. His smile did not fade even as he realized there was no way for him to tell which of the bodies was the original one. Finally he placed his gaze out front and with a psychotic expression, he only muttered, tightening the grip on his weapons: "So, you're the Bushin brat… back then, you used Henge to disguise your clone to look like that blonde. Clever. This should be fun…"

--Back to Teigo--

The two fighters broke apart again, coming to sliding stops away from each other, neither taking his eyes off from his opponent. With a wide smile still visible on his face, Hakkotsu reached for his back and in one, smooth motion, ripped his spinal cord out of his body, wielding it as a spear, its tip touching the ground before him: "This is truly enjoyable. You've improved much more then I have anticipated. If it was still seven years ago, you'd be long dead. Seems that in order to defeat you, I'll need to use some of my new tricks…"

"And that's suppose to scare me?" the former sound-nin asked calmly. "You're not the only one who extended his range of abilities over the years. Up till now I was merely sensing you up and frankly, you don't seem much stronger then the last time we clashed. Now that I think about it, it's regrettable. If I knew how things will turn out, never would I have saved your life. But enough small talk, I don't have time for memories, those brats need me. In the spirit of our former friendship though, a piece of warning: best be prepared" and at those words he picked out a kunai, cutting his left thumb slightly, making blood escape his body. "In only a moment… all hell will break loose."

_**--to be continued--**_

And this concludes this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review once you're done. All you need to do is push that button on the bottom left of the page and write a few words. It'll be greatly appreciated.

On a side note: I do hope that Yobiko's ability was explained good enough. As some of you may know, it's sometimes difficult for me to explain the mechanism behind more complex things in English. Sorry if some parts of the chopper-thing remain unclear.

And with that said, I wish to thank you for tuning in. Once more I'd like to ask you to review and for all those of you, who are also reading my NNG (or plan to do so in a moment): thanks for sticking this long.

Best wishes and until next time, hopefully.


	13. Best Laid Plans

Hey! It's finally here; after over two years of hiatus, the next installment in "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire" finally came. Sorry to have kept you waiting. But, on a plus side, if there's gonna be interest in the tale, I'll do my best to update it more regulary. Basically, if you have waited (or you're a new reader and like the story), **review** so that I'd know this story is worth continuing.

The chapter itself is a bit shorter then normal installments of the series, but oh well, I'll try to do better next time. Now, since I already made you wait so long, without more of my ranting, here's the newest chapter of "Those…"

**Chapter #13: Best Laid Plans…**

_**Title Page:**_ a paper exam; Naraku is leaned over his sheet, panic written all over his face, next to him sits Toramaru with feet on the desk and hands behind his head as he already finished his, while further to the young Uchiha's right Buryaku is sleeping, her test under her head

A tall, pale-skinned man walked into the cavern, filled with tubes on both sides. The cave went down like a corridor, few lamps hanging from the ceiling every several meters being the only source of light. The arrival scanned the area with his serpent-like eyes, settling the pupils on a man with silver haired and glasses who came to greet him.

Upon reaching the tall figure, the other man bowed respectfully: "Welcome, Orochimaru-sama… we've been expecting you" he began, but a harsh, yet surprisingly calm voice that came from the visitor instantly made his words freeze in his throat: "I'm not here for sight-seeing, Kabuto… tell me…"

The white-haired nodded, quickly grabbing his clipboard as he led the man through the dark hallway. The guide pointed at the tube, filled with green liquid as they walked. Each of the containers held a humanoid figure, floating within, most likely in suspended animation: "Tube number 63; body rejects alien cells, making mixture impossible… a failure. Tube number 64; subject exhibits skeleton degeneration… a failure. Tube number 65; subject's bone prove to be weakened… failure. Tubes number 66 and 67; subjects organism are incapable of adapting, the execution of the experiment would end their life… both a failure. Tube number 68; another skeleton degeneration… fai…" but just then the pale-skinned man interrupted him, obviously losing his patience: "Do you have anything interesting for me, Kabuto?"

At that the glasses-wearing man allowed himself to gulp quietly as he quickened the pace, passing by more tubes without a word. Finally he came to a stop at another container, making Orochimaru gaze at the figure inside with an amused look, while Kabuto spoke again: "Tube number 81; subject's chakra managed to combine with the bones, strengthening them. The body's healing factor still leaves few things to be desired, however it's getting there… and it's nothing a little medicine can't fix. Ultimately, this one can be considered a success…"

"Success" the tall man repeated with a smirk, nearing his face to the glass. "Excellent. What is his name?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at his second-in-command. The silver-haired ninja only adjusted his glasses, looking at his clipboard once more: "We do not know… he's a shinobi captured during one of our… recruitment raids. He became part of the project immediately after…"

"That's not good" announced the snake Sannin wickedly. "He's a success… he deserves to have a name" he went on, humming to himself as he played with his lip. Finally his smirk widen as he pushed his face against the glass: "From now on, your name will be Hakkotsu…"

-Flashback end-

"Best prepare yourself, Hakkotsu" Teigo announced, cutting his left thumb with a kunai. "In only a moment… I'll unleash hell" and with that he went through a quick set of hand seals, slamming his palm to the ground and twisting it in a circle. In a flash stone spikes shot up from around the white-haired man, each aiming to pierce right through him.

Acting on instinct, Hakkotsu struck his 'spear' to the ground and jumped into the air, landing on the top of his weapon, while the spikes collide beneath. With one, smooth motion, he jumped forward, ripping the spine from the ground and somersaulting a few times, he brought his blade down on Teigo, forcing the former sound-nin to jump back.

The instant his feet touched the ground, the white-haired man held out his left hand, making small bones shot out from the tips of his fingers, going straight at the masked jounin. Incapable of dodging in time, Teigo covered himself with his melody arm, blocking the assault, but Hakkotsu didn't waste time and was already swinging his spear at his feet. Seeing this, the leaf-nin jumped over the attack, making the swept miss its target.

Immediately the bone user struck the tip of his weapon in the ground again and used it to spring forward at high speed, throwing a kick to Teigo's face, which the former sound-nin caught with his left hand. Feeling his leg immobilized, Hakkotsu put another in motion, this time going for his opponent's stomach, but to no avail as the masked jounin threw this assault off course by tapping it from above with his free hand and using it to prop his own body up to launch a kick of his own.

At this maneuver, Hakkotsu quickly switched hands and now holding his 'spear' with the left, he held out his right one, making bone bullets shot out from it, hitting Teigo in the chest from point blank range, sheer impact throwing the former sound-nin back a few meters.

Coming to a sliding stop, the masked jounin once more twisted his hand, his eyes rising to meet the charging form of the white-haired man. With a quick thrust, Hakkotsu tried to pierce his adversary's chest, but Teigo managed to side-step it in the last moment, swinging his melody arm at the bone user's face, forcing him to bend back.

As the attack went before his face, Hakkotsu's body shook, his vision getting blurry: "_Shit, he got me!_" he cursed, flipping back a few times to gain more distance. As he came to a stop, landing on his feet, he felt his balance disappearing. The bone user managed to remain on his feet, while a short, intense headache hit him, forcing a twitch of his eye.

"_Not strong enough, it would seem_" Teigo narrowed his eyes, inspecting his opponent's reaction. "_Apparently he somehow trained his senses to limit the effects of my attacks to minimum. Surely this'll make it more difficult then I have anticipated. Two more…_"

"It's getting truly annoying having to fight you this way" the white-haired man announced, a few drops of sweat appearing on his face from the fatigue. "It's somewhat disgraceful having to use this against you, but I cannot allow myself to be bested by the likes of you. Let me show you just how many things have changed since you left" and with that proclamation, he uncovered the top of his shirt, sliding a finger on the top of his torso, leaving a string of blood behind it.

"_That bastard!_" the masked jounin cursed in his mind. "_Using that at this time…"_

But Hakkotsu didn't care, he just clapped his hands together in a quick seal and with a wicked smirk, he spoke up: "First seal… open!" and in a flash the ground beneath his feet cracked while air currents surrounded his body. A loud whistle filled the air as Teigo felt as if he was being sucked into a vortex: "_Such chakra release… this is insane! With just one seal he gets that much effect? I can't fight that… not without opening my own, but if I do… damn it all!_"

"What, scared already?" the white-haired man asked amused. "I really thought you were made of sterner stuff. Observe the power your threw away! This is the strength Orochimaru-sama gives to those you are loyal to him!"

"No" the masked jounin responded with his eyes narrowed. "That is the power Orochimaru gives to his pawn to keep them in check. You're too blind to realize the aftereffects of the process… but I know them… I was subject zero after all… I was his favorite…"

Those words seemed to agitate the bone user who immediately grabbed his spine and charged again at the speed far greater then before. Teigo dodged to the left, yet the tip of the spear still managed to scourge his side, ripping some flesh with pain blasting through the former sound-nin's body.

Without delay he reached to his hostel, tossing several shuriken at the assailant's face at point-blank range, but before the shinobi stars connected, another bone shoot up from Hakkotsu's right arm, blocking the assault while the white-haired man grabbed it and spinning on his foot aimed to cut his opponent's chest with it.

Teigo reacted just in time, jumping over the attack, but his eyes widen as his adversary struck the tip of his spear into the ground, coming to abrupt stop. In a flash Hakkotsu threw his right leg up, kicking the masked jounin right in the gut when he was still in mid-air. The former sound-nin was send flying back and flipping in the air, barely landing on his feet as he propped himself with his hand, twisting it a bit.

"Can't keep up?" the white-haired man asked with a note of satisfaction in his voice.

Meanwhile Teigo merely narrowed his eyes, glancing at his hand that still rested on the ground: "_One more…_"

-Back to the three gennin-

Yobiko's giant blade cut through the air horizontally, slicing all the clones that came within range. But the instant the chopper came to a stop, more bunshin attacked, each with a kunai in its hand. With the enemy charging from all sides, including falling from above, the sound-nin found himself trapped with nowhere to run.

In a flash he pointed one of his choppers down and pushed, making the huge blade dig into the ground. A moment later invisible force blasted the incoming Narakus away, leaving a small crater around the place the man stood with a smirk on his face.

"_He used the ground as a deflector to make the sound wave spread quicker_" the young Uchiha noted, sweat dripping down his face. "_Dammit, with those choppers even if I create more clones, he still has enough range to defend himself from all sides at once… and those sounds of his can nullify the Grand Fireball… what can I do then?_"

"Hakke Kuushou!" came a sudden yell that forced Yobiko to spin on his heel and hide himself behind the weapon merely milliseconds before a impact hit the blade, making the man slide a few inches back. His face twisted in anger as he prepared to counter, only to see the blond boy coming right at him with palms ready.

As the attack came, the sound-nin blocked once more with the flat side of his chopper, stopping the white-eyed gennin's right arm. Toramaru didn't waste a second though and quickly pushed himself of the weapon, putting his body into a spin. As he located himself behind the jounin, his left hand went into motion, aiming right at the man's spine.

With a flip back, Yobiko somersaulted over the son of Hokage, landing to face the preteen's back. Immediately he swung both his choppers horizontally in the attempt to catch the boy in between, splitting him into three pieces. The assault was stopped inches away from the blond's body as chakra surrounded it, pressing against the blades.

"Hakke Shou Kaiten!" the white-eyed ninja called out, tossing the blades to the sides and thus leaving the sound-nin wide open. Naraku took that chance, jumping into the air and unleashing a barrage of kunai and shuriken, all of which went at the man's chest.

As the projectiles came closer, Yobiko twisted his wrists, spinning the choppers in his grip, immediately unleashing a whistling sound. Once the noise strengthened, all the knives and shinobi stars got blasted away by the barrier. His eyes widen however as in the meantime Toramaru spun around, placing his body into a new stance: "Jyuken po Hakke! Rokujuyonsho!"

Before the sound-nin could react, the blond already landed two blows upon him with a wild call: "Nisho!" Pain surged through the man's body as he felt his chakra getting blocked within. "Yonsho!" came a cry and two more hits connected, pushing the chopper wielder a bit back, unleashing a new wave of discomfort.

"Hassho! Jurokusho! Sanjunisho! Rokujuyonsho!" the attacks kept getting faster, bombarding every inch of Yobiko's figure, each aimed with deadly precision. Once Toramaru was done, the sound-nin was send flying back, crashing hard against a tree few meters back. As the smash echoed however, the man's body turned into a wooden pale, much to the white-eyed boy's dismal: "_Shit, he managed a Kawarimi!_"

"Doton: Shinjuu Zanshuu no Jutsu!" came his opponent's voice from beneath as a hand suddenly shoot from the ground, grabbing him by the ankle. Within a blink of an eye the two switched places, the white-eyed preteen's head being the only part of his body above the ground.

Instantly Yobiko reached for his choppers, ready to pierce the young gennin's face, yet he froze with his arm raised as once more he got surrounded by Naraku's clones that formed a circle around him: "Is that really the best you can think of?" he asked with a bored tone. "I'd imagine we already established this is pointless…"

"Hey, I don't tell you how to fight!" the young Uchiha pointed his finger at the man annoyed, whose eye only twitched as he shrugged, placing his choppers in position. Immediately after the gennin attacked, kunai glittering in hand.

The first clone came from behind, jumping up to the level of Yobiko's head, aiming to stab it. This one was easily dispelled as the sound-nin simply threw his elbow back, smashing the bunshin's face. As a 'puff' echoed in the air, another appeared, running near the ground, with a thrust to the man's right side.

Also this was prevented as Yobiko swung his, other hand, making the tip of the chopper scourge the ground, splitting the clone in two from below. Another explosion of white smoke occurred while the third assailant dropped from the sky, getting his knife blocked by the massive blade, making the bunshin freeze in mid-air.

To the sound-nin's surprise, fourth attacked came through the smokescreen on his right in the attempt to ram him. Letting his instinct take action, the man spun around, dodging the assault from point-blank range and cutting Naraku's back from behind, while smashing the hilt of his, other chopper into the chest of the airborne one, dispelling also that one.

"_I need to watch out_" he reminded himself, kneeing the fifth boy that came his way. "_That brat might be just stupid enough to attack with his real body and if I kill him, the master will rip my skin off for that… failure is not accepted, especially now that the ritual is this close…_" he added, throwing a kick to the side at the next replica.

This clone though managed to duck under the assault and grabbed the man's leg, stopping him in his tracks. Three, more bunshin instantly came from all sides, each stabbing at their target, making it impossible to block all the kunai.

With no, other option, Yobiko blocked the knives on his sides, head-butting the replica out front from above, dispelling it before its weapon connected. With this he swung his choppers, tossing the two clones pushing against them back and jumped, throwing a kick to the Naraku holding him, hitting his face hard.

The raven-haired gennin flew back, disappearing in the cloud of white smoke before hitting the ground. The sound-nin did not had time to breath as other clones kept charging, swinging their kunai from all sides. The older ninja danced around the horde of enemies, managing to block all of them, landing both punches and kicks, decreasing Naraku's numbers in a concert of puffs as more smoke embraced the chopper wielder.

With another spin, Yobiko rammed the hilt of his weapon into the stomach of the bunshin that came from behind, already shifting his gaze to the replica that attacked his left. His eyes widen however as they returned to look at the place he just dispelled one of Narakus, seeing a shadow of the raven-haired boy extending, coming straight for him.

His instincts kicked in before he could think, making the sound-nin jump back, away from the shade, yet as he came flying at more clones, their shadows too stretched, aiming to pierce his own. At this the Oto ninja cursed, coming to a sudden stop and strafe right, ramming the closest replica. In a flash the shadows of the surviving bunshin that stood closest mimicked the previous, going after the man.

"_With this many clones and shadows they cast, the range and possibilities of my Kagemane are endless_" Buryaku thought to herself as she held her hands in the right seal. "_As is, there's nowhere for you to run… as long as Naraku manages to hold out the technique, you'll mine!_"

"_Shitty brats!_" Yobiko cursed, switching directions again as shades began circling around him, uniting the shadows of replicas that now had him trapped. "_That blond brat attacking was just a distraction to let the hag rely the plan to the Uchiha! That massive Kage Bunshin was solemnly to extend the shadows in the area, making those clones surround me! They kept attacking so I wouldn't notice! I can't even use a jump, since my shadow will still be present and I'll get caught anyway! For the bitch to catch me is nothing more then a matter of time!_"

"_Looks like he figured it out_" Toramaru smirked to himself, his body still trapped below ground as he observed the scene with his Byakugan. "_We win!_"

The sound-nin narrowed his eyes as the shadows close in on him from all sides, leaving no escape route. With a frown he quickly went through a set of hand seals, slamming his palms to the ground with the last symbol: "Doton: Sakuganki!" he spat out, having his body get instantly sucked below ground.

In a blink of an eye he jumped out through the rocks, appearing right behind Buryaku. The kunoichi only managed to cover her eyes, waiting for the blow, but in stead her ears got filled with a loud 'clang'. As the girl slowly dared to look, she saw a mysterious figure standing right before her, clad in an armor of rocks.

Massive stones covered nearly every inch of the figure's body, leaving only a small visor on the face for the eyes, which now gave the impression of shining. The formation around the head consisted of several, spiky rocks, pointing to the sides and up, almost like a crown. The arrival held his arm high, blocking Yobiko's chopper with it.

"One nuisance after another" the sound user frowned with a stoic face. "But you are certainly not the instructor of these brats, so where the hell have you come from?" he asked calmly, noting that even as he pressed on, the man didn't budge.

"Ishino Ganjou" came a husky voice from behind the stones. "And there's really no need for you to know more, since I'll be killing you in just a moment" at that statement the figure's free hand flickered, making Buryaku's eyes widen in surprise: "_Single-handed?_"

"Doton: Ishi Gooremu no Jutsu!"

_**-a mysterious arrival… and the outcome?-**_

And with that the chapter is complete. Hope you found it worth waiting for and please drop a review before going. It'll help me establish if the story is worth continuing. Also, below, I give you the jutsu translations. The usual jutsu encyclopedia will return (if there'll be popular demand) next time:

_Hakke Kuushou_ (Eight Trigram: Empty Palm)

_Hakke Shou Kaiten_ (Eight Trigrams Heavenly Spin)

_Jyuken po Hakke Rokujuyonsho_ (Gentle Fist: Sixty-Four Palms)

_Doton: Shinjuu Zanshuu no Jutsu_ (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Skill)

_Doton: Sakuganki_ (Earth Release: Rock Drill)

_Doton: Ishi Gooremu no Jutsu_ (Earth Release: Stone Golem Skill)

And that's that for now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter and that you'll review. Thanks for tuning in and have a great day!


	14. Sound Barrier

_**DYNAMIC UPDATTO:**_ and so it continues with the "long awaited" chapter of "Those…". Took me over a month to finish, but it's finally here, walking prouding alongside NNG and LoL. Enjoy!

Finally I've managed to finish this chappie. I must admit it proven to be a bother and overall didn't end up the way I pictured it, but albeit the feeling of being a tad rushed, I'm actually quite happy with the outcome.

As always I wish to thank everyone who sacrificed their time to review this tale. But, just like with NNG case, I'm a bit worried with the number of response I got and so:

**IMPORTANT:** this is a note to all you, dear readers; somewhat of a favor I'd like to ask. Now, I know a lot of you read the tale and don't review (or normally don't for whatever reason). I can accept that, BUT with as little free time as I'm recently experiencing and quite a load of problems on my head (which I won't bore you with) I REALLY need to know that I'm not writing this story for myself (mostly, coz there are reviewers). So the favor I'm asking you is that, even if you normally don't review, at least THIS ONCE leave a comment so that I'd have the general idea how many people are actually interested in the story, coz if the response will be minimal, it is highly possible this tale will be again put on hold, deemed "not worthy of sacrificing my precious, free time at the moment"!

With the above said, lets get down to 'business':

**Chapter #14: Sound Barrier**

_**Title Page:**_ casino: Toramaru is playing poker with the dealer, easily winning, while behind his chair Naraku is 'cheering' and Buryaku is sleeping, resting her head against the table on the boys' chips

Teigo rolled to the left as tiny bones struck the spot he stood on just a moment later. As he came to a stop, Hakkotsu was already near him, thrusting his spine at the man's heart. The former sound-nin reacted instantly however, placing his melody arm in the way, blocking the assault, yet the impact still pushed him back as the tip of the 'spear' pushed against the protector.

The two broke off, giving the masked shinobi a bit space, but before he could use the fact, the white-haired ninja appeared behind him, swinging his spine horizontally. Allowing his instinct to take over, Teigo ducked, dropping to all fours as the spear whistled above his head. Quickly he twisted his hand, marking the ground, barely managing to do so before receiving a kick in the stomach that send him sliding.

"Pathetic" stated Hakkotsu, patiently waiting for his opponent to stand up. "This isn't the best you can do. I know it. Release it! I wish to test my strength against that power. Even you must've realized by now that is your only chance of survival. The only reason I have not landed the finishing blow is strictly because I want to see THAT again…"

"Like I'd release it for the likes of you" the former sound-nin shoot back with surprisingly calm voice. "Please, I have no need of such things to bring down someone of your level. Since the time we last saw each other, I've learned a few, new tricks. And this is the end" he announced, bringing his hands together in a seal: "Doton: Ishi Funbo!"

In a flash four, stone pillars shoot from the ground, connecting with one another high above. Taken by surprise, the white-haired man froze even as spikes shoot to the sides, forming walls around their prisoner. Finally, with a quiet 'shit' the Oto ninja ran to the thin opening. But it was too late; the walls have already shut.

As the dome closed, Teigo performed another seal, his face as cold as stone. Immediately the tomb shook as the technique got activated, loud rumble coming from the inside. As the noise stopped, the former sound-nin dropped to his knee, air escaping his lungs much quicker then he'd want: "_Damn… I guess using that technique without Hakai still takes too much out of me. Well, doesn't matter. It's ov…_" but before he could finish a new noise came from the trap.

In the next moment Hakkotsu jumped right through the roof of the dome, blasting few pebbles aside as his face, twisted in fury, turned towards his adversary. His clothes got ripped while tens of cuts now decorated the white-haired man's body. He huffed a few times as he landed, far from gracefully.

"You little shit" he cursed through clenched teeth as Teigo stared at him blankly. "You think something like that would kill me? What insolence! Now I definitely cannot let you live! This is your end" he proclaimed, bringing his hands into a familiar symbol: "Second seal… op…" yet also he did not finish as a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"That is enough, Hakkotsu" announced an ordering voice, making the Oto ninja narrow his eyes as they shifted to a new arrival, a man around his age with gelled-up, black hair, tied with a brown headband. His green eyes gazed coldly at the bone user while his face remained stoic. He was wearing a brown, sleeveless top with wristbands in the same color and baggy, grey, military pants. A long spear was hung on his back with holes in his palms completed the look.

"What are you doing here, Himei?" the sound-nin demanded with accusation in his tone.

"Relax, I have not come here to steal your prey" the arrival responded calmly as he glanced at the masked jounin. "I am here merely to rely new orders. We are to head back to the hideout immediately. The preparations are complete and so the ritual will be starting soon."

"Fine… just let me kill this one here and we'll be on our way…"

"No" came a reply as stern and yet as emotionless as possible. "We are to return immediately" he underlined the last word, giving the bone user a glare. "These are Kabuto's instructions. You have wasted all the time you had to play" and with that he turned to the leaf-nin again: "You may consider yourself lucky this time around, Teigo. Your life has been spared, if only for a little while."

"Is that so?" the man responded, slowly rising to a standing position. "Looks to me you're hiding your tails and head for the hills" he teased, his hand cautiously going for his hostel. But Himei was obviously not amused: "Think what you wish… we both know what the reality is. You will die soon. That is a fact. Even if it's not by our hands, it'll be due to Hakai. This is the fate you've chosen."

"No. In that regard, I truly had no choice at all" Teigo shoot back, narrowing his eyes, but the gelled-up ninja didn't react. In stead, it was Hakkotsu that cut in: "If it's the ritual, shouldn't we at least get the Uchiha brat? I'm sure Yobiko…"

"We're going" the man cut him of and then disappeared. The white-haired shinobi merely cursed under his nose before performing a seal of his own and followed in his footsteps, leave his opponent with a premonition: "Until next time… if you survive that it…"

"_They never just leave_" the masked jounin complained as his eye twitched. "_Always have to say something_" he whined, allowing himself a sigh of relief. He felt like sitting down, but just as he was about to execute that action, another thought appeared in his mind: "_The brats!_"

And with that, he took off...

-That time, another place-

"Doton: Ishi Gooremu no Jutsu!" Ganjou called out with the last seal, making the ground shake as stones got lifted from it. In a flash the rocks bounded together in front of the mysterious figure, forming a humanoid creature almost twice the human size.

The giant instantly swung its left arm in a hook, aiming to punch Yobiko, thus forcing the sound-nin to flip back. As the first attack missed, titan's second hand went into motion in a horizontal swing, this time making its target duck under the assault.

The Oto shinobi had no time to celebrate though as the golem's left arm came again, now from above, in the attempt to crush the man. Quickly Yobiko jumped back and once the fist collided with the ground, he charged forward, running up the hand with his chopper ready. Upon reaching the giant's head, he cut horizontally, forcing sparks from the spot of impact and a terrible noise. Instantly he jumped off the monster's shoulder as its right hand came to grab him: "_Thick skin, eh?_"

The moment his feet touched the ground a strange sensation hit him, forcing the sound-nin to strafe left right before a stone spike shoot to the sky from the very spot he stood on. Coming to a sliding stop, he noted Ganjou appearing behind him with an axe in his hand: "Haven't forgotten about me, did you?" he asked, swinging the weapon downwards, the blade aimed at the Oto jounin's neck.

Yobiko instantly dropped to all fours, making the assault miss by mere inches and spun around, his choppers already extended outwards. But as the attack connected, a loud clang echoed through the forest while another blast of sparks erupted: "_So, the armor too_" the sound-nin concluded, retreating. "_This is gonna be bothersome._"

Meanwhile both Naraku and Buryaku were astounded by the view before them. The kunoichi felt her body freeze as the man they fought just a minute ago now somersaulted over the golem's fist, sending a barrage of shuriken at his mysterious opponent, who didn't even bother to dodge as all the knives bounced off his armor: "_This is so unreal_" she thought, the grip on her fans tightening. "_Such speed and agility… there truly was no way for us to win against that guy. This is a real battle. A battle on jounin level!_"

"When you guys are done marveling, how about digging me out?" Toramaru's voice suddenly reached her ears, making the girl turn around, towards the head of her blond teammate, which was still the only part of his body above the ground.

The young Uchiha complied and sent his hands into motion, tossing the dirt aside. The speed he did so with however left the white-eyed boy feeling there was much to be desired: "Are you trying to tick me off? At this rate it'll take forever! Use Kage Bunshin!"

"Can't" the other teen responded simply without stopping. "I'm nearly out of chakra after such a massive cloning from earlier. You'll have to bare with me" he announced calmly, to which Toramaru merely sighed.

Yobiko crossed his choppers, blocking the axe that dropped upon him, pressing the sound-nin to the ground. Immobilized, the Oto ninja could only watch as the golem came from behind him, readying its massive fists. In a desperate maneuver, he swung his weapons to the sides, releasing a scratching sound as they scourged the surface of his enemy's blade.

The cacophony was enough as he quickly expelled chakra, pushing it through the holes in his choppers. The tiny air current created by the sudden move grew in strength instantly, allowing him ti rise the volume of the noise, bombarding Ganjou's ears with vibrations. As his vision blurred and body shook, the stone-nin's attack went off course, his axe sinking into the ground just besides its target.

In a flash Yobiko spun around, thrusting his blades forward. Buryaku's eyes widen as the air vibrated, blasting at the giant and hitting it straight in the torso. He powerful sound wave smashed the monster's rock-hard skin, drilling a hole in its chest, forcing the titan to take a step.

The creature recovered quickly though, resuming its offense with a downward punch, to which the sound-nin's face twisted in anger as his hands meet: "First seal… open!" he called out, easily deflecting the fist with his chopper.

This threw the golem off balance, giving the Oto jounin the opening he needed. Immediately he jumped forward, swinging his other blade at the giant's neck, cutting it clear off the monster's shoulders. As the massive rock hit the ground, the rest of the body shivered, shattering into tiny pieces in a concert of rumble.

"_With a single stroke?_" Ganjou thought surprised as he slowly regained his balance. "_And to top it off, just now that sudden surge of chakra… it's just like the one I felt earlier. Can't worry over that now; if he was able to bring the golem down, my Stone Armor won't do any better. Can't afford to get hit anymore._"

As on queue Yobiko dropped from the sky, bringing his choppers down. The armored warrior easily side-stepped the attack and swung horizontally, forcing the saund-nin to cover his back with the flat of his weapon. The instant a 'clang' reached his ears, the Oto ninja twisted his other wrist, thrusting his other blade back where he assumed Ganjou was.

The mysterious fighter dodged the assault again though by spinning on his foot and once he found himself back to back with his opponent, he launched an elbow to the back of Yobiko's head. The Sound shinobi reacted immediately, ducking under the attack and twisting his other wrist, now placing the sharp edge of the chopper that covered his back towards Ganjou.

With a swift motion he made the weapon turn 180 degree by tossing his hand forward, thus forcing the stone-nin to jump back in order to avoid the swing. This gave the Oto ninja enough time to turn and charge his adversary, tips of his choppers aimed at the man's heart.

Coming to a sliding stop, Ganjou had no way to dodge the assault, thus acting on instinct, he decided to block. A fatal mistake; as the choppers hit, the force put behind the push allowed the blade to go straight through the axe and pierce the armored shinobi's chest, going out through the stone form's back.

Both combatants froze for a moment before Yobiko threw his hands to the sides, literally splitting his target in two. A wicked smirked appeared on the sound-nin's face while his hands were still extended to the sides; a smirk that vanished a moment later as an all too familiar voice filled the air: "Ishirou no Jutsu!"

In a flash ground circled around his legs and shoot up, grabbing his arms. Before he could react, his body was trapped within rock-hard binds, immobilizing him completely from the neck down: "What the…?"

"Stone Prison Skill" announced a figure that kneeled behind him, one of its hands sunk into the ground. This man had medium-length, black hair, made into dreadlocks and a pair of hazel eyes. He wore brown robe with thorn-off sleeves and an Iwa hitae-ate around his forehead. "It's actuality a variation of Water Prison; the user still can't move after executing the technique, but he can trap anyone, as long as the target remains earthbound… like you…"

"How did you get out of the armor?" Yobiko questioned calmly, looking over his shoulder.

"Kawarimi" came a response. "You only destroyed an empty shell. And now this fight is over" and with that he reached for his hostel, unleashing a barrage of shuriken at the sound-nin. Yet before the projectiles managed to hit their target, a blur stood in their way, deflecting them all as well as breaking the stone binds on the Oto shinobi too fast for Buryaku to realize what happened.

"Seems that you're still too inexperience to wear the name of Twelve Tunes proudly, Yobiko" stated the new arrival as he gazed blankly at the chopper wielder. "I must say I'm disappointed. Three brats and a guy who's already one foot in the grave. Kabuto won't be pleased" and at those words he turned towards Ganjou, whose face was now covered in sweat. A moment later the stone-nin covered his mouth to cough, but Toramaru still noticed crimson liquid sticking to their savior's palm as he pushed the hand away.

The one who came to Yobiko's aid was surprisingly a boy, seemingly their age with gelled-up, purple hair and completely black eyes. A black t-shirt with a thorn-off left sleeve covered his chest, while a pair creamy, cargo pants, decorated with silver chains, were tied around his waist with a belt with a skull in the middle. Many, strange rings of various colors on his fingers and a black, snake-like tattoo going down his uncovered arm completed the look.

"I've come to take you back" he announced to the sound-nin; a statement that certainly was not to Yobiko's liking, but before he could even try opposing, the boy stared at him, making the man merely nod his head in agreement. The new arrival then turned towards the three gennin, stopping on Naraku: "So, you're the young Uchiha, eh? I'll admit I was picturing you as someone more… frightening. Well, I suppose the least likely can be the most dangerous, but… this day is full of disappointments."

"Who are you?" Ganjou demanded, getting back to a standing position. The boy glanced at him with something as a surprise showing on his face before replying: "I'm nobody important really. And do not worry: I have no come here to fight you, even though considering your past I probably should. Another day perhaps…"

"And what can a brat like you know of me?"

"Lets me ask you this: does the name Mabui ring any bells?" the newcomer responded, making the stone-nin's eyes widen. The boy remained stoic and turned his back towards the confused shinobi: "Thought so. Move it, Yobiko" he ordered and in an instant the two were gone.

The Iwa jounin only lowered his head, his eyes narrowing at the memory: "_Mabui… but that brat…_" and just then he remember he was not alone: "Are you kids alright?" he asked concerned, turning towards the young gennin. The boys nodded weakly at the question, yet Buryaku was still suspicious: "I'm sorry, Ganjou-san, but please, explain yourself. While you do carry the name of our contact, the arrangement was that we meet up in a village south from here. This brings a wonder what are you doing here?"

"Careful bugger, ain't ya?" the stone-nin responded with a smirk before replying: "While I waited for you guys, I felt a powerful, chakra release around this area. Precaution dictated to investigate, but before I could actually reach the spot, I ran into you. Noting that you're from Konoha, I assumed you were the ones I was supposed to meet. With that, do you really believe I could've taken any, other course of action in order to complete my own assignment?"

The kunoichi still scanned the man suspiciously, yet spoke up calmly anyway: "Fair enough" and as she said so, another figure came into view, landing in the middle of the battlefield. As the masked arrival glanced around, his eyes settled on Ganjou a bit surprised, while Toramaru walked over to the newcomer: "You're late, Teigo-sensei..."

-The next day-

"Thank you again for the assist, Ganjou-san" Teigo bowed before the stone-nin slightly as they were saying their goodbyes. "If it wasn't for you, those brats would certainly die" he added, much to Toramaru's annoyance, whose eye twitched from anger.

"I already told you there's no need for that" the other man assured him with a smile and a sweat drop. "Surely, if the situation was reversed, you'd do the same. Besides, I owed you one from all those years back… now you can consider us even. And anyway, if it wasn't for that abnormal chakra I felt, I doubt I'd be coming, so all of it was more or less a coincidence..."

"_To think Hakkotsu opening the first seal was actually the thing that saved us_" the masked jounin looked to the side with a quiet frown. "_You gotta appreciate the irony... but it's not like that will make me feel any better. Essentially, I could not match him... and if he were to go all out, I wouldn't be standing here right now. With this, I..._" but he never got to finish the thought as Buryaku interrupted him: "Is something wrong, Teigo-sensei?" she asked a tad concerned, to which the former sound-nin gave her a surprised glance.

"Nah, I'm fine" he replied, recovering his stoic expression. "We should be heading back..."

"Yes, I should be on my way as well" Ganjou nodded, but then turned towards the three, young ninja. "But you guys are actually pretty strong. I certainly hope we'll get to meet each other again, possibly so that I could test the strength of my own gennin against you three..."

"Wait, you're leading a gennin squad also, Ganjou-san?" Naraku questioned surprised, to which the stone-nin only smiled: "Naturally... though I doubt we'll have a sparring match any time soon, seeing as our villages aren't allies. Well, someday maybe..."

"Most certainly" responded Toramaru with a smirk, gaining their savior's attention. "But you better train your students hard, coz when that day comes... we'll be a lot stronger" he proclaimed, making the Iwa jounin return the smirk: "It's a deal then..."

And with that the group said their goodbyes. The white-eyed boy took note of what Ganjou said, but this time around he decided to let that slip. Obviously there was more to their sensei then meet the eye. Much more. And he was going to find out everything in due time. Now just wasn't the moment.

They went on their way back to Konoha. The trip proven to be uneventful, but none of them doubted their adventure in the Stone Country was merely the beginning of something else... what they did not know was that back home, a new challenge awaited...

_**-one chapter ends… and another begins!-**_

And that's it for now. Hope you liked the closure of the mission arc. Fear not: any questions that appeared in your head over the course of this task will be answered in due time. You just need to be patient. And coming up: the triumphal return of the rookie gennin as the Chuunin Exams are nearing. Old and new enemies appear before Toramaru, Naraku and Buryaku!

Naturally, if you wish to know more of it (coz, as you know from my NNG I won't be making a simple copy of the manga's exams… new tests will be put before the young gennin), I ask that you review (in reference to the **important note** from the start of the chapter). Also, here's the usual, jutsu translation:

_Doton: Ishi Funbo_ (Earth Release: Stone Tomb)

_Ishirou no Jutsu_ (Stone Prison Skill)

And this concludes this installment. Hope you had fun reading and that you'll review before leaving. Thanks for stopping by. Peace out!


	15. Invaders or Visitors?

Following the example of NNG, I felt that I couldn't revived just that last one and leave this one be... and so I finished up this installment (most of it was actually done way back when I was updating) and waited for the completion of the other pieces. Frankly, this chapter was the easiest to write of the three, though still it seems a tad rushed... that might be because originally the events presented within were supposed to be split into two updates... in the last moment I decided to rearrange it to squeeze it all into (considering the wait was great I figured it wouldn't be fair to actually stretch the tale) and so some details aren't as elaborated on as I'd want.

If you go back to the previous chapter, it's easy to guess what comes now, so I'll just say that while I do have a sentiment towards NNG, "Those..." are a slightly different story; don't get me wrong, I do feel attachment to it and I enjoy the tale, but I have less drive to write this then the other two, so it'd be greatly appreciated if you'd leave me a review to let me know this piece gathers interest like it used to do.

And now, lets head to the tale:

**Chapter #15****: ****Invaders or Visitors?**

_**Title Page:**_ medieval setting; Buryaku dressed as a princess is scared as Naraku in a dragon costume nears, but between the two stands Toramaru in a knight's gear, pointing a sword at his friend

"Okay, so that was dull" whined Toramaru as he and his team walked through the streets of Konoha. "What the hell is it with those lame missions? How is picking up trash suppose to make us stronger? Say, Teigo-sensei, can't you get us another, higher rank mission? Any would do, even a C-rank!"

"That time giving you such a dangerous mission was a coincidence" the jounin reminded him, sighing slightly. "We were never expected to run into those sound-nins. You're still too bratty to get missions like that and the events in the Stone Country should have proven that to you…" but as he was prepared to go on with his lecture, he suddenly heard a familiar sound.

As he glanced to the sky, he noticed a brown-feathered hawk soaring above the village, dropping its feathers from time to time. He raised his eyebrow slightly and then gazed back at his students, saying: "Okay, you guys, that's all for today. I have some business that needs attending, so I'll be seeing you later…" and with that he was gone.

"Hmm?" was all Naraku managed to say as he just glanced over his shoulder, realizing their instructor left. Buryaku only yawned loudly and turn on her foot: "Well then, I'll be going too. See ya…" she made an effort to wave them goodbye and walked down the street, soon disappearing from their view.

"Okay, so it seems we have the rest of the day off…" concluded Toramaru, a little annoyed by that all. "So what should we do? It's still early… Hey, how about we visit Garou? It's been a while since we talked to each other and since my mother is his instructor, I know where they are right now!"

"Sounds like a plan" Naraku replied with a smile and soon both of them headed to the training grounds. Upon arriving, they realized that Hinata was no longer there, however her subordinates seemed to be pretty warned out: Garou was sitting under the tree with his hands on his knees and his head lowered, while Gouka breathed heavily, standing few meters away from a bull's eye that was filled with shuriken and kunai. Only Kumo seemed to be unmoved at all, standing with an emotionless face and hands in his pockets… as usual.

"Hey guys!" Naraku greeted the other gennin, drawing their attention to himself. Kumo merely glanced at them and gave an approving nod, while his sister only 'humped' under her nose and got back to training. The young Inuzuka on the other hand immediately shoot back to his feet and ran towards them, giving the young Uchiha a high-five.

"Wow, guys, what are you doing here?" he asked excited, almost like he wasn't exhausted just a moment ago. "I haven't seen you for a year or so! How are things going?" and instantly all three began chatting. Kumo only gazed at them for a while and then took off, without saying a word, while Gouka finally decided to turn around and came closer.

"Boy, you idiots sure are cheerful, especially considering the circumstances" she noticed with a devilish smile, which earned her a surprised glance from Naraku, who asked 'what do you mean', however his sister only shrugged and replied quizzically: "That is something I know and what you will have to find out… the fact that Hinata-sensei just took off without any reason a moment ago should give you a hint as to what's going on in the village right now…" and with that she followed Kumo's footsteps and left the trio as well.

"Still as bitchy as ever, eh?" Toramaru asked the dog boy, who only nodded as he gazed after the kunoichi. Silence felt between them for a while, before the blond broke it again: "Say, Garou, do you have any idea where Shunrai is right now? I haven't seen her in ages either!"

"No clue" the young Inuzuka replied, shrugging. "Besides, you guys should know better then me, since her team is led by your teammate's father" and at that statement both Teigo's subordinates widen their eyes as they looked at their friend.

After a short debate the trio decided to grab something to eat and as usual Toramaru convinced them to get some ramen. Since they all knew the way all too well, they decided to race, passing by familiar streets on the way. But even the road you know 'by heart' can surprise you sometimes and that was preciously the case that day as Garou, who took the lead, suddenly came to a stop, spotting something with the corner of his eyes.

The sudden blockade made it impossible for Toramaru to stop in time, making the blond collide hard into his friend's back, knocking them both to the ground. Seeing the ruckus ahead, Naraku quickly jumped to the sky, flying over the duo and landing on the other side of his companions, who now laid flat on the street: "Boy, did you guys made idiots out of yourselves just now…"

But Garou wasn't listening to him. He just rose back to his feet and turn around, settling his eyes on a trio of gennin that stood on the road, apparently amused by the show they witness merely moments ago: "Who are you people?" the dog ninja demanded, pointing at the three. "As far as I know, shinobi from other villages are not allowed in the Leaf!"

Toramaru glanced over his shoulder, even though he was still laying on the ground, and realized his friend was currently accusing a trio of ninja around their own age. His eyes narrowed however as he spotted the symbol each of the three had on their headbands; an hourglass: "_Sand-nins_" he noted, instantly standing up, alerted, as he inspected the 'visitors'.

The only female in the group was a girl with long, blond hair, clipped in two ponytails that fell freely on her back. Her eyes were crimson-red as they stared intensively at Naraku, completed with a tiny smirk showing on her face. Her headband was placed around her neck, while her outfit gave Toramaru a very strange impression, being a little baggy and of violet color, covering almost every inch of the kunoichi's skin from neck down. Metal protectors were placed on both her arms, elbows, shoulders and knees, while leg-guards of the same material finished up the look. There was also a big scroll tied to her back, but what surprised the white-eyed boy most was the lack of any holsters or weapons.

The tall boy next to her was dressed almost completely black with his messy, spiky, black hair pointed in every direction. His golden eyes were mesmerizing, almost snake-like. This one's hitae-ate covered his forehead, while his outfit revealed a black fishnet beneath. The boy had only his left arm revealed, entirely covered with black markings.

The last of the three was a rather short boy with spiky, red hair and jade eyes. A jet black robe covered his body, leaving out only a large gourd on his back, but Toramaru noticed red kanji, that stood for 'death' on both sleeves. He carried his Suna's forehead protector as a belt.

"None of your business, shrimp" the one with tattoos on his arm replied to Garou's question with a wicked smile, almost as if he was trying to provoke the Leaf gennin. "We have every right to be in this village and that's all you need to know…"

"Our villages may be allies, but that still doesn't give you the right to wonder around here" Toramaru cut in, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Seeing as you're foreigners, it's our duty to make sure you're not spies. State your reason for being here, otherwise we'll be forced to take you into custody."

"Will you now?" the tattooed one responded, widening his smile. "Hey, Shikyo, seems we have tough guys here. What say we teach those losers about the world?" he asked, turning towards the redhead. The one with the gourd merely glanced at the three leaf-nins and rising his sight back to his companion, he replied, his face as emotionless as his voice: "Fine, but don't play around for too long. I don't wish to get in trouble due to your stupid games…"

"Don't worry, this won't take longer then two minutes" the other boy assured, already going through a set of hand seals as his other hand, also decorated with markings, collided with the left one.

-This time, elsewhere-

The crowd gathered in the room consisted of higher rank shinobi only, most of which Teigo at least heard of. Apparently something important was about to be announced. The former sound-nin gazed at the Hokage, who was sitting in his throne-like chair, wearing his typical gear. As time flew few more ninja arrived and finally Naruto stood up, clearing his throat: "Some of you may realize why I have called you all here. It'd be pointless to make this longer then it has to be, so I'll get right to the point: in a week from today the Chuunin Selection Exam will begin and as most of you are aware, this year it'll be held here, in Konoha. I've already seen foreign shinobi walking around the village…"

"But some still seem to be missing" noticed a chubby man in a red, body armor with spiral markings on his cheeks, while his long, spiky, brown hair were falling freely onto his back. The Leaf's hitae-ate, located on his forehead, reflected the light, making this man seem somewhat more… majestic then his figure would imply: "I realize that our alliance with Kumo is quite recent, however I was positive some cloud-nins will be coming."

"The Raikage assured me he'll send some of his gennin teams to participate in the exams, Chouji" the blond Rokudaime responded calmly. "But if they won't make it here in time then that is not our problem. I have called you all here to worry about our youth. The exams are a great chance to promote our village as well as strengthen the ranks of chuunin. That is why I wanna hear all the jounin who were chosen as instructors for gennin teams if they find any of their students worthy participating in the exams. It's tradition, so may the leaders of the rookie teams please, step forward?"

As on cue, Teigo walked to the front, along with five, other people. To his left was Uzumaki Hinata, the head of the Hyuuga and one of the most respected kunoichi in the Leaf. He would heard rumors she was picked to guide a gennin team, what surprised him even more was the fact that apparently she was chosen for similar reasons as himself. The other four he did not know all too well. He had seen them with the Hokage every once in a while, however did not pay much attention to remembering them.

"You know the drill, so lets start with the right" announced Naruto calmly, pointing at Teigo. The masked jounin formed a respected seal and with a little monotone voice, he spoke up: "I, Kinuta Teigo, the leader of team consisting of: Nara Buryaku, Uchiha Naraku and Uzumaki Toramaru, taking full responsibility for my decision, wish to nominated all three gennin mentioned above to participate in the Chuunin Selection Exam…"

Then a man with huge eyebrows stepped forward, mimicking Teigo's gesture: "I, Rock Lee, leading the youthful team of Nekko Hinako, Nayamasu Gaki and Rock Gai, fully aware of the responsibility, too wish to give my blooming students a chance to partake in the upcoming Chuunin Selection Exams so that their youthful hearts can explode!"

Next on the list was a man with medium-length, black hair, clipped in a ponytail that made his head look like a pineapple. He wore a black fishnet, covered with a light green t-shirt and a green vest on top of that. His black pants were slightly baggy and his headband was located on his left arm. Teigo also noticed three, golden earrings in his left ear: "The team led by me, Nara Shikamaru, consists of Shunrai, Akimichi Choumaru and Hisakata Gitou. Although it's troublesome, I too would like to recommend all three to participate in the exams…"

"I, Uzumaki Hinata, leading the team composed of Uchiha Gouka, Aburame Kumo and Inuzuka Garou, taking full responsibility for my decision, the same as to my right" stated the white-eyed woman with a tiny smirk appearing on her face.

Everyone's attention then traveled to the man seemingly around Teigo's age, who had short, spiky, blue hair and eyes in the same color. The jounin wore a black, sleeveless top and baggy pants just as dark. His forehead protector was wrapped around his left arm and the former sound-nin also noticed that the figure carried two katana, both on his back, yet one was hung horizontally, while the other ran down the man's back. Thanks to the absence of sleeves, one could also spot black markings covering his hands, much like a big kanji for 'blade' that decorated the man's right cheek.

As the man walked out front, he formed the respected seal and with the voice as emotionless as one can only be, he announced with a serious look on his face: "The Hasaki led team consisting of: Hyuuga Hitomi, Abunage Shimiru and Hatake Jun. Under the name of Kinzoku Hasaki, the same as those before me…"

The last of the group was a woman, apparently the youngest among the six, with long, red hair, clipped into a ponytail with a large, yellow ribbon and purple eyes. Her outfit consisted of short, red t-shirt that left her navel uncovered and short, brown pants. Her right hand was covered by a metal protector with three, claw-like blades sticking out of it, while two, small daggers were attached to her belt, making them hang on her left hip. The jounin's look was complete with a big scroll tied to the bottom of her back and a necklace with an eagle feather.

"The team placed under my care, consists of Nekata Akemi, Kagami Akai and Megane Akumo" the woman proclaimed with a warm smile after paying her respect towards the Rokudaime. "Gladly taking full responsibility for my decision, under the name of Shinku Hiyoko, I too would like to recommend all three to take part in the upcoming exam…"

"It'd appear that ever since I took the exam for the first time, jounin has grown confident of their gennin abilities" Naruto smirked under his nose as the last statement was said. Hearing this, the blue-haired man inspected the Rokudaime closely with his eyes, while he spoke up in his emotionless voice: "Does this mean you're going to object our decision, Hokage-sama?"

"Of course not" the Kyuubi vessel responded, still smiling. "My own son is among these brats and I'm more then interested to see how far he can get. However, with all the improvements made upon the exams themselves I feel the challenge ahead is much more difficult then any of us recall it was and seems to me that with all this, we'll be in for a treat…"

-Back to our youngsters-

"Ninpou: Dokudokushii Tsuba!" the boy in black called out as he took a deep breath, only to spit out something at the trio the moment after. As green liquid flew through the air, the three leaf-nin scattered out of the way, making the substance hit a fence behind them, instantly eating up the wood.

"_What the hell?_" Naraku began, his eyes widen from both shock and fear. "_Toxin?_"

Garou was not assumed though and quickly putting his body into a spin, went for their opponent with a cry: "Tsuuga!" In a flash he neared the target, yet before reaching the Suna shinobi, his assault was stopped by a wall of sand that suddenly raised before him.

Hitting the barrier, the grains showered the area, yet the wall remained still, making the dog ninja cling to it. The next moment the top of the barricade bended and went for the leaf-nin, aiming to close around its prey.

Garou acted immediately and ran to the right, sticking to the wall, yet another sand barrier appeared in his way, this time growing out of the original one. With no place to run, the chasing wave caught up to him and wrapped around his body, soon immobilizing him completely, leaving only the boy's head uncovered.

The one called Shikyo held his right hand high, the rest of his body being perfectly still. Without any remorse, he began closing his palm, instantly making Garou yell in pain as his prison tightened. This is when Naraku sprung into action and coming from the boy's left, released a barrage of shuriken that came at the sand-nin.

None of the shinobi stars reached their target though as another wall of sand shoot up from the ground, swallowing the projectiles. The young Uchiha only managed to widen his eyes as the sand went after him as well in a form of a small tsunami that ripped the sidewalk.

Naturally the boy ran, yet the sand proved to be faster and as it neared his back, a new figure appeared in between and flashing its hands a couple of times, made the wave disintegrate, its grains dropping to the ground. The event shocked Shikyo, albeit his face didn't show it. The surprise was enough for him to loosen his grip on Garou and as his body gained room to move, the dog ninja managed to jump out of the cocoon.

The redhead paid no attention to the fact, he just stared at Toramaru who stood just before Naraku, his eyes surrounded by white veins. With a voice as emotionless as his expression, the Suna gennin asked: "How?"

The blond smirked at the question, still in his fighting stance: "To control that sand, you need to put chakra into it... and anything with chakra can be destroyed with Jyuken. That's quite a barrier, but that won't stop me!"

"Then I will" came a voice and instantly the boy clad in black appeared behind the white-eyed youngster, kunai in hand. Before he managed to swing though, a fireball came his way, hitting the sand-nin right in the face.

The teen with markings immediately jumped back, landing on a nearby fence, anger written all over his face as he flipped through another set of seals. But what made Naraku, who was now coughing out last bits of smoke from his mouth, freeze wasn't the upcoming counterattack. No, it was the fact that his adversary was completely unharmed!

Meanwhile Toramaru and Garou charged Shikyo together with the dog ninja strafing left so as to avoid the wave that came his way. The blond however jumped up, somersaulting over the assault and as a new blast came, he flipped, landing on top of the solid sand. Sliding down, he prepared his Gentle Fist, yet also this time the redhead's protection proven faster; the new barrage rose from the uncorked gourd and came from above, too fast for the white-eyed boy to dodge.

Luckily for the leaf-nin though, another blast of sand went by him and colliding with the one coming at him, the two canceled each other out, leaving the blond safe. Or so he taught since his ride was stopped by a hand of sand that grabbed his ankles, stopping him in the middle of the slide. As the sand beneath him retreated, the grip remained, suspending him in air, hanging upside down. Only now he noticed Garou was also immobilized, once more trapped in the sandy grip.

"One can't leave you for a moment, Shikyo" a new voice came, making Toramaru gaze down the street where three, new figures appeared. The one talking was a girl with medium-length, blonde hair and eyes just as green as the redhead. Her attire was not all that different from the boy's either as her jet-black robe swayed gently in the wind, being unbuttoned, yet the gourd on her back left little place for doubt that it was her who stopped the sand-nin's assault.

Her two companions were both male, each a boy around her age. The one on the right was clad in blue with triangular tattoos under his eyes in the same color. His spiky, black hair was mostly hidden under a wooden headgear while three, large scrolls were tied to his back. Several, smaller scrolls hung tied to his forehead protector with the hourglass, which the boy used as a belt.

The last of the trio was much shorter then the rest with long, green hair made into straps. His face was hidden behind a mask that left his left eye visible while the right side was decorated with black, claw-like stripes. He wore a bit too big jumpsuit, mostly orange if not for its right trouser leg and left arm, starting with the shoulder. Wide sleeves made the top of his hands uncovered and a Suna hitae-ate attached to his outfit finished up the look.

"What are you guys doing here?" the boy clad in black asked, only now drawing attention to himself, thanks to which Toramaru noticed his chain of seals was interrupted when other arrivals grabbed him by the wrist. To his surprise, the one holding the sand-nin in his grip now was Akumo, who stood on the fence just above Akemi and Akai, who also appeared on the scene.

"Stopping you from doing something stupid" replied the one with the headgear, sending his comrade a stern look. "We're not here for fun, Kobura. You shouldn't cause trouble before the exams. Be glad those Konoha kids stopped you from using _that_ technique. If you kill anyone outside the tournament, I'd imagine you'll be disqualified immediately."

"Bah" the other boy snorted, freeing his hand. Akumo gaze at his palm shocked; he didn't loosen the grip one bit and yet his captive was now free. The only thing left in his hand was a strange, crumbling, white material. He then glanced suspiciously at the sand-nin, but the one called Kobura didn't seem to pay any attention to neither him nor his teammates: "What difference would that make? It's not like the loss of such, pathetic brats would be a real lost to the Leaf..."

"These 'pathetic brats' as you called them did manage to get through Shikyo's Sand Shield" noted the masked pipsqueak. "Obviously they're stronger then you give them credit for. Though it is just like you to look down on everybody..."

"With you, looking down is implied" the boy with markings hissed, also as if he was provoking his fellow Suna gennin, yet before the shorter teen could respond, the redhead walked over, stepping between the two: "Enough, Kobura" he ordered calmly, yet the very sound of his voice made the black-clad ninja retreat. "Fuugo is right... even though we haven't gone all out, that blond broke through, which in itself is commendable. What is your name?" with this, he turned to the white-eyed shinobi.

"One should first introduce himself before asking another's name" Toramaru shoot back, somewhat to the redhead's annoyance, yet the sand-nin complied: "Sabaku no Shikyo..."

"Uzumaki Toramaru" announced Hokage's son, still watching the boy carefully. That is until the blonde girl snapped him out of it: "I apologize for my brother and his behavior. He... has moods. I understand that seeing us here may seem suspicious, but I assure you we're here under the allowance of your authorities. We came to take the Chuunin Selection Exam."

"Chuunin Selection Exam?" Garou questioned, relieved to be free of the sand. "What do you mean? And how is that related to your presence here? Shouldn't you be taking that exam in your own village?"

"I see you brats know nothing" the female teammate of Kobura and Shikyo smirked as she began explaining: "It's already tradition that allied countries take exams together. To make it fair, every time it's held in a different village and it just so happens that this year Konoha is the host. It's not just us; I'm sure in the next, few days you'll be seeing gennin from Ame, Kusa, Taki and Kane around the streets. I also heard new alliances were formed with Kumo and Sawa, so even those villages may be sending their representatives..."

"True" Akai nodded, walking over to the rest of the people gathered with his teammates close behind. "Just yesterday we came across a team from Hidden Rain while we were doing our weekly, survival training with Hiyoko-sensei."

"So why weren't we informed of all this?" Toramaru asked, turning to his old classmates. To that Kobura chuckled, before replying for the young redhead: "Apparently, you weren't deemed worthy enough to take part in the exam... and so any information regarding it is none of your concern."

"What did you say?" Garou turned towards him, obviously insulted. Hanomaru barked loudly before growling at the boy in black, yet the blonde kunoichi quickly raised her hands in a calming gesture to prevent another fight from breaking: "Please... apparently there's some tension here, so with your allowance, we'll be on our way. We really have nothing against you guys. And you" with that she turned to the one with markings: "Stop that!"

"Whatever" Kobura spat, turning his back. "These brats wasted enough of my time already" he proclaimed as he followed Shikyo, who by this time was walking away. Their female comrade merely left out a sigh as she ran after the two, leaving the other, Suna team and Konoha gennin to themselves.

"All they do is cause trouble" the one with the headgear commented, staring after the trio. "Kankuro-sensei was right to ask us to watch them" he said, mostly to himself, to which point his masked companion nodded. "Anyway, we'll be off too. We apologize for their behavior. Hopefully you won't have to stand for it, since as soon as the exams are over, we'll all be out of here" and with that statement, the other, Sand trio disappeared as well.

"Thanks for the assist" Naraku spoke, the tension gone with the absence of the enemy. Akumo gave him an approving nod, without saying a word. In stead, Akemi decided to join the conversation: "I see you three still can't pick your fight" she joked. "You shouldn't start with people that much stronger then you guys."

"What are you talking about?" Garou shoot back. "We had them on the run!"

"Actually, I doubt they shown even half of their fighting strength" the four-eyed gennin stated, adjusting his glasses. "Also, note that the girl didn't even try to help her teammates. It's safe to assume she was sure they could handle the situation. From what we saw, you did seem to get a few blows in, but these didn't seem to leave any effect."

"You saying we couldn't win?" Toramaru asked, rising his eyebrow.

"Well, one can't truly determinate something like that" came a reply. "However there was something odds about that Kobura guy... about all of them actually..."

"Yeah" Akai nodded. "Almost makes you glad we weren't picked for the exam..."

"So you guys too?" Naraku questioned, turning towards him.

"Well, Hiyoko-sensei didn't say anything about it" the redhead responded with a note of sadness in his voice. "I guess we're not ready yet. But then, if we were to face opponents like that, perhaps it's best to wait for a better time. Frankly, when Akumo jumped to save your butts, I was hoping things will cool down. These sand-nins give me the creeps."

And with that said, all six gazed in the direction the Suna gennin disappeared to. Toramaru narrowed his eyes at the happenings of the day, his mind set on one thing only: "_Chuunin Selection Exam, huh..._"

_**-opponents gather... a new challenge is underway!-**_

And this would be it for this chappie. Hope you enjoyed it (especially it's the only one I'm generally satisfied with out of the three x_x) and that'll you'll leave a comment. Below I place jutsu translation and just in case a list of gennin which will be update with the inclusion of new characters as they appear. At this point I'd also like to assure you all that taking example from NNG, I won't be filling all the gennin at once but gradually introduce them to you, along with a little remind of the Konoha rookies with whom the earlier parts of the story gave you a chance to meet. Hopefully this'll ease the confusion, especially since the number of characters is smaller then NNG's:

_Ninpou: Dokudokushii Tsuba_ (Ninja Art: Venomous Spit)

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (?), Gaki Nayamasu (?), Gai Rock (?)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (?), Choumaru Akimichi (?), Gitou Hisakata (?)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (?), Jun Hatake (?), Shimiru Abunage (?)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Suna #1 (?):**_ ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_? (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

And so this chapter ends. But before that, just a reminder: this tale, much like NNG, has began and was planned when "Naruto" was still in the early stage of its Part II. As such this should be considered an AU to a point with everything beyond Naruto meeting Sasuke after the time gap considered non-canon, unless stated otherwise.

With that said, thanks for reading and have a great day.


	16. Trouble at the Shrine

Well, this update was supposed include all three of my next generation fics, however I had little time to write NNG and so I decided to skip the wait, finished this piece and uploaded it along with LoL. Personally, this was a bit of anxiety for me as I finally get to introduce one of my favorite teams for this fic. They're super weird and kinda tough to write in order to keep their personalities in tact, but I dare say they're one of the most colorful teams of the exam.

Those of you, who read LoL and/or NNG already know my father is struggling with cancer once more and as such, the whole situation limits my time to write (skipping the fact that at times I don't feel like writing at all), so it might take me a while to update, even though the next, few chapters are mostly introduction to the new characters and as such shouldn't be hard to finish.

Anyways, with this said, hope you'll enjoy the newest installment of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire"!

**Chapter #16: Trouble at the Shrine**

_**Title Page:**_ Toramaru, Naraku and Buryaku are playing street basketball; Toramaru is dribbling, while Naraku instructs the kunoichi to guard the basket

"Do you want something in particular?" Teigo asked stopping as he glanced over his shoulder. His eyes settled on the nearby rooftop, where Sasuke stood, observing the former sound-nin closely. "I dislike being followed, so unless you have some business with me, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone…"

"Actually, I do have a matter I wish to discuss" the Sharingan user replied, jumping down, to land right before the masked jounin. "It's about the Chuunin Selection Exam. I've heard you nominated my son to take part in it…"

"And what if I did?" Teigo responded, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "What, you want me to change my mind? You're not in position to do that. He may be your child, but he was placed under my command and I decide whether he's ready to become chuunin or not. I feel no need explaining myself to you. If that is all, then scram, coz I have manners which require my attendance…"

"Are you trying to provoke me?" Sasuke questioned, narrowing his eyes. "Do not forget that you're speaking to the second strongest in the Leaf. You may have been one of Orochimaru's best, but you are still below me, you should know this much. Furthermore you're not from Konoha, so I don't find you very trustworthy. The least you should do is drop that attitude and try to act like a Leaf's ninja, if you truly are one…"

"For you of all people to say that is plain mockery of these words" the masked jounin replied in a challenging tone. "It's true that I was born in Oto, however one does not choose the place of his birth. I became a sound-nin out of necessity, not my own will and switched sides on my own accord. You, on the other hand, were a Leaf's shinobi from the beginning, but decided to betray your village for personal gain and then, years later, returned, claiming loyalty to Konoha again. Out of the two, I'd say you're the one less trustworthy. And do not forget that I was there when you joined Orochimaru, I remember what you have done. Do you really think your precious Hokage would still be so happy about your return, if he'd learn what happened all those years back?" he asked, making Sasuke look away, avoiding eye-contact. Teigo kept on staring at the Sharingan user for another moment, before breaking the silence again: "But your relationship with the Rokudaime is none of my business and as for your son, I can assure you that he's ready. I'm confident that he'll show you what he's made of. Whether he'll become chuunin or not… that I do not know, but at the very least he'll experience what true hardship means and if he'll manage to survive these tests… well, he can gain a valuable lesson. They all can" and with that he went one his way, oblivious to the ANBU's glare that settled on his back.

-This morning, outskirts of Konoha-

"I'm sorry, Toramaru, but I feel this is just stupid" announced Naraku with hands behind the back of his head as he walked besides his teammates towards the mountain tops near the village. "We were recommended by Teigo-sensei to take the Chuunin Exams. We should be training in stead of going off to pray in some shrine. What good will that do?"

"It's a tradition of the Hyuuga" the white-eyed boy responded calmly as he lead his companions through the streets. "My personal feelings aside, I'd imagine my mom would be disappointed if I didn't go and it isn't even one day out of my life, so it's cool. No-one asked you to tag along" he added matter-of-factly, to which the young Uchiha twisted his mouth and began glancing all around to avoid eye contact.

"Okay, I'll stop" he finally replied in defeat. "We're friends so I can sacrifice my time for you every now and then. What I don't get is why are you here" at this he gazed at Buryaku, who in turns seemed to make nothing of it as she kept on walking without even turning towards her teammate: "I'm not a religious type, but it seemed like a nice way to spend the day. It's been a while since we didn't had any missions or training."

"Actually, I'd imagine you just wanted to skip any, training session Teigo-sensei prepared for us, didn't you?" Naraku asked with a cocky smirk, but the kunoichi's face remained indifferent. Silence filled the group for a moment, before the trio reached the base of a long stairway, leading right to the top of hill.

The young Uchiha glanced the path up and down, a single drop of sweat running down his face as he saw what was ahead. The stairs were decorated with rails of white stone on each side, the bottom of which held small statues of snake dragons. Every now and then the climbing route was halted by a wider, flat space, each equipped with a bench to rest during the trip... or at least that's what the Clone master imagined. The top of the walk laid beyond his sight however.

"Are you actually telling me we'll have to get all the way up there?" he snapped, turning towards Toramaru, yet the blond merely glanced at him seriously, making the answer obvious. And so they began their walk with the sun shining high in the morning sky. The trip was an uneventful one, if not counting Naraku's constant whining over the 'hardship'. But that was to be expected. What wasn't, was a comment they heard as the top was getting closer...

"And another Hyuuga" a sudden voice reached their ears, making them glance over at the rail few steps up, where a group of three gennin their age stood. "Seems like you were right, Juryoku, that shrine really is Byakugan users magnet" stated a boy with a playful note, settling his eyes on Toramaru: "Forgive our interruption, my friends, but my teammate was wondering if you won't mind revealing your names to us. You especially" with that, he nodded towards the blond boy, giving him a warm smile.

Instinctually, Buryaku scanner the trio, noticing they were not from the Leaf. The boy that spoke up was their age, though slightly shorter then her teammates. He had medium-length, gelled-up, blond hair with two strands falling from both sides of his face, so that they'd stay out of the boy's hazel eyes way. He wore a violet shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his shoulders and a black kanji for 'thunder', placed in a yellow circle on the back. His pants were in the same color as his shirt and seemed a little baggy, but the kunoichi managed to spot a belt that held two daggers, each strapped to the boy's hips. A hitae-ate with clouds beamed from his forehead as the smile was not disappearing from his face.

The girl next to him was taller then the boy, but not by much. Her hair was long and dark-blue, made into a spiky bun on the back, while out front two strands were managed in a similar fashion her teammate had. She wore her headband around her left arm, having her neck being occupied by a necklace made of small, iron balls connected with a string. She had a dark-blue t-shirt ripped at the bottom and on the right sleeve and carried several, golden rings and bracelets on both her arms. Her pants were gray and a metal leg guard completed the figure.

The final of the three was certainly the most odd-looking, this being mostly the result of his hitae-ate that was strangely placed in a way it covered his eyes, making it impossible to see them, but in turn it made the boy blind-folded. This one had medium-length, black hair, falling freely around his head and with few, thin strands hanging over his face, while his outfit consisted of a black t-shirt and a red vest placed on that. His pants were also black and, following the theme of his teammates, baggy, with his arms wrapped in bandages.

"_They're cloud-nins_" Buryaku noted, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. Toramaru on the other hand couldn't care less about the origin of the trio, as he replied to the first boy's question, the quarrel with the Suna gennin the other day still alive in his memory: "When you ask someone his name, you should introduce yourself first… doesn't any foreigners follow that rule?"

"Right!" the blond Kumo shinobi smacked himself on the head, somewhat playfully, before continuing, his warm smile still decorating his face. "Do forgive me. I was just excited about meeting a possible opponent from, what is believed, the strongest clan in the Leaf. But that is no excuse. Anyways, allow me to right my wrong. My name is Makaze Fukaru" he announced, bowing slightly towards the three leaf-nin. "And these are my friends: Kakeme Juryoku…" at this he pointed the girl with his hand. "And Mekakushi Aitou" here his arm moved towards the blind-folded boy, but while the kunoichi at the very least nodded as a welcome, this one didn't even flinch, keeping his arms crossed and propping his back against the rail.

"Well, I'm Uzumaki Toramaru" the white-eyed gennin responded, still scanning the trio suspiciously. "And these are my teammates: Nara Buryaku and Uchiha Naraku" he added, making Fukaru's eyes widen a bit.

"Uchiha? Well, this is our lucky day then; we get to meet representatives of two, most powerful clans from Konoha" he announced, his smile widening, even though Naraku did not thought that was possible. "I can tell that if you are to partake in the upcoming exam, you might prove to be a troublesome bunch. But more importantly, it'd appear the Byakugan is no longer Hyuuga-exclusive thing" at this point Buryaku noticed the other boy's, Aitou, head twitched for a split second, but the reason behind that… she could not tell.

"So, you three are here for the exams too?" Naraku asked, lifting his eyebrow. "You wish to fight us like those sand-nins did? Coz if so, I must warn you I'm not in a mood for a friendly sparring, especially after yesterday. It's best that you leave us alone, otherwise this could get ugly…"

"Fight you?" Fukaru repeated in a tone that almost sounded like he was insulted. "Oh no, we have no intention of fighting outside the exams. We are guests in your village after all, so it'd be inappropriate for us to cause unnecessary trouble. We're merely looking for possible rivals that we might face during the exam itself and we're particularly interested in the Hyuuga."

"There we go again" Toramaru let out an annoyed frown at the other boy's comment. "My mom told me that Kumo was always interested in the Byakugan, even to an extend they would risk a war to obtain in. What, you want to kill me in the exam to get the secret of my bloodline limit?"

"Of course not!" Fukaru replied, keeping his calm, though Buryaku noticed he did so barely. "We are allies now, so we have no intention of attacking Konoha. I know history of our villages cannot be called a friendly one, but it's very rude to accuse us of something like that. We only came here for the exams. If we were really interested in your eyes, then I assure you that we'd have just take them right here, on the spot" and as his words echoed in the air, the two leaf-nins felt metal stopping less then an inch away from their throats, immobilizing both Naraku and Toramaru.

In a blink of an eyes, the blond Kumo gennin was behind them, his daggers ready to split their necks at any moment. A single drop of sweat run down Naraku's face, his body paralyzed: "_I didn't even saw him move until he was behind me! How the hell did he do that? Body Flicker? But I couldn't see him perform any seals…_"

"Fukaru-kun, you're the worst!" the Cloud kunoichi, Juryoku, called after her teammate, crossing her arms and giving the boy an angry look. "Stop showing off or our new friends might think badly of us!"

"Right, my bad" the Kumo gennin admitted, retreating his weapons and bowing towards the two. "I apologize… it must be the excitement getting to me. I assure you I had no intention of harming you… I just figured that giving you a scare might help us avoid… reckless actions, so to speak."

"It's fine" Buryaku replied calmly, making Toramaru sweat drop at her lack of concern.

"I see you three are causing trouble again" came a new voice, making everyone glance up the stairs, where it came from to note another trio of youngsters walking down. Naraku recognized them instantly.

"Do not forget you're guests in our village" the only girl in the group warned them, her voice cold. "And you've already managed to tick me off earlier... making me feel like some freak on display" the white-eyed kunoichi added, throwing Aitou a stern glare.

"For people claiming to be friendly, you sure make a lot of enemies" Toramaru noted simply, even though another thought crossed him mind: "_Granted, Hitomi is not the friendliest of people to begin with..._"

"I apologize for this nuisance, Toramaru-sama" the girl now turned towards the son of Hokage. "Do you wish me to handle them?"

"That won't be necessary" the blond assured her with a calming gesture. "No harm done. But I see you've already paid your respects, Hitomi-san?" the boy announced, receiving a weak nod from his cousin. He then glanced at her companions, a bit curiously: "Why are you guys here though?"

"One could ask your teammates the same thing" the masked boy, Jun, responded, tilting towards Naraku and Buryaku. "Do we really need to explain something so obvious?"

"Hey, I just wanted to do a rail-ride from the top" the last of the three, Shimiru, cut in with his usual, laid-back tone and for a brief moment the young Uchiha could swore he saw Hitomi's eye twitch at the comment. "But nooooooo, this is a place of worship" he went on, imitating a female's voice. "You can be a real fun-killer sometimes" he added, shifting to the girl beside him.

-That time, another part of the village-

"Hinata-sensei, if it's tradition for Hyuuga to pray in that shrine before the exam, why couldn't we wait for Toramaru to show up?" Garou asked as he and his cell walked the streets of Konoha with their teacher. "You said they were chosen to part-take as well..."

"Yes, they were" the white-eyed woman nodded, glancing at her student. "And that is preciously why we couldn't afford to waste your time waiting for them. Have you already forgotten what happened the other day with you and those sand-nins? The exams start in less then a week. You should use this time to polish your skills. With opponents like those Suna gennin, as well as Toramaru and Naraku, you should be prepared for a tough challenge."

"I don't know about Toramaru" Gouka cut in with a stone-face. "But I do believe you give my brother too much credit, sensei. And as for your son... okay, he was the best in the Academy, but we all grew since then. Frankly, running into him yesterday, he didn't leave much of an impression on me either..."

"Underestimating your enemy is one of the greatest mistakes a shinobi can make" the jounin reminded her gently with a warm smile, almost as if her child wasn't insulted just now. "Don't forget, out of everyone, I do have a good insight as to his capabilities."

"So you're saying he's stronger then us?" the younger kunoichi questioned, rising an eyebrow.

"I didn't say that" the head of the Hyuuga laughed whole-heartly. "I'm just saying you should be prepared. Keep in mind your old, Academy classmates ain't the only ones you should be on the lookout for. Those sand-nins gave Garou some trouble, so it's safe to assume they're not ordinary" he noted, her face instantly getting grim: "_And those Cloud kids from the shrine just now... something tells me they're even worse..._"

Kumo noticed her expression and scanned his instructor carefully. It was rare for her to show fear and yet that seemed to be the case preciously. The heir of the Aburame glanced over his shoulder to the mountain they visited earlier today, its top now engulfed in a soft mist: "_Is it about those three?_" he wondered, yet said nothing... as usual.

-Back on the stairway to the shrine-

"We're really getting out of line here" Fukaru announced, rising his hands in a calming gesture. "We really didn't mean any trouble. Aitou here was simply anxious to visit this shrine and got interested seeing this many Hyuuga, who are apparently connected with the upcoming exams. I mean, look at him" he added, pointing to his teammate, who was still propping against the rail, stationary and indifferent since the beginning. "He's ecstatic..."

"Well, if that is true, a question appears" Buryaku stated simply, gazing the the blind-fooled boy. "One you still failed to answer, despite being asked straight forward; why are you so interested in the Hyuuga?"

"It wouldn't be wise for us to spread such info around" Juryoku replied with a cocky smirk. "Despite being friendly, since we'll all be partaking in the exams, we are, essentially, rivals."

"You guys really should make up your mind as to what you are to the Leaf" Jun commented with a slightly bored tone. "Anyway, we should get going; Hasaki-sensei asked that we meet up with him on the bridge, remember?" he asked, turning to his companions.

"Right" Hitomi nodded at the reminder. "Lets go" she ordered, but just then froze, gazing at her cousin one, last time: "Oh, almost forgot... Toramaru-sama, I do suggest you hurry to the top. There's someone who I imagine would really like to see you there... well, skipping these three, naturally" she added, glaring at the cloud-nins. And just as she was about to leave, she grabbed Shimiru by the collar, pushing him off the rail: "Don't even think about it!"

"Oh please, just this once" the blond responded, making puppy eyes and a wide smile. These proven to have no effect however as the kunoichi dragged him behind, having the boy with piercings feel every, single step on his butt: "Okay... ouch... see you... ouch... dude... ouch... later...ouch!"

The ones left observed the scene, sweat dropping, until they remembered they shared the place with a cell from another village. They all shifted their attention to the other team, uncomfortable silence filling the air. Finally, the one to break it, was Fukaru: "Soooo... since we're all heading up anyway, why don't we go together? It'll give us a chance to get better-acquainted..."

"You keep talking about becoming friends and yet you don't really give us much reason to believe you" Toramaru replied, eying the other blond. "Especially since you refuse to tell us why my persona, as well as Hitomi's, interests you so much..."

"Well, that's..." the cloud-nin began, but before he could finish, another voice joined the conversation, a dark and cold one that belonged to Aitou, the final member of the Kumo team, who up til now have not spoke: "It's quite simple" he announced, walking over to the two and leaning towards the son of Hokage: "I hate the Hyuuga."

"_Oh yeah, really friendly_" Naraku thought to himself, feeling shivers running down his spine.

And so their trip to the shrine continued, in the company of three, new 'friends'. Toramaru couldn't shake the feeling this encounter was a premonition of something and it wasn't just the statement of the blind-fooled gennin that worried him. However, soon he was to forget of the treat, for what awaited him and his cell at the shrine... none of them could predict...

_**-friend of foe?-**_

And so this chapter ends. Hope you enjoyed it and that Kumo gennin intrigue you. I wondered for a long time who to write their intro, since I didn't want to blew it. Frankly, both Aitou and Fukaru were two of the first characters invented for this fic, exceeding some of the Konoha gennin even! With them, the rooster of the Three Great Villages for the exams is almost complete. And, just as a reminder, here's the rooster I'm talking about:

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (?), Gaki Nayamasu (?), Gai Rock (?)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (?), Choumaru Akimichi (?), Gitou Hisakata (?)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Suna #1 (?):**_ ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_? (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

_**Kumo (?):**_ Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-fooled boy)

That's it for today. Thanks for tuning in and see you next time or with the new updates on NNG and LoL.


	17. Meetings at the Shrine

As promised with the new update of NNG, I'm placing a new chappie for "Those..." as well, since there were requests for me to continue on with it as well (ironically, "Legacy of the Leaf" doesn't seem to be missed :D). Frankly, the purpose of this chapter sorta got lost along the way and it ended up more of a comedy installment, but oh well... you still get to meet some of the gennin that will take part in the Chuunin Exam as part of my promise to help you get acquainted with the participants more before the event actually begins.

The number of characters you'll need to remember is not that high (well, at least compared to NNG) and I do hope that introducing them gradually helps in keeping track. Though, naturally, I don't intend to drop the idea of the character list at the end of each chapter.

With that said, I invite you to the chapter itself and don't forget to review, if you want me to continue the tale:

**Chapter #17: Meetings at the Shrine**

_**Title Page:**_ a farm – Buryaku is sleeping at the top of a haystack, Naraku is chasing rabbits away from the garden with a broom, while Toramaru lifts up a shocked chicken, snapping the eggs from beneath it

Four figures reached the gates of the Hidden Leaf, pushing off the hoods that hid their faces in shadows. Calmly, the eldest of the group walked forward, showing the guard a special pass, to which the latter nodded at, after a quick examination. The guards moved aside, letting the quartet in, to which the leader bowed before leading his younger companions into the village.

The man, already greatly aged, had long, gray hair, clipped in a ponytail and a beard that wrapped itself around his mouth. His left eye was entirely white with a scar going across it, indicating an old, war wound, while his right, blue eye gave an impression of being tired. Clad in a brown cloak, one could only glimpse that he wore some sort of a gray, body armor beneath, while a headband with a symbol of Hidden Grass dangled around his neck.

His three companions were much younger, no more then fifteen years of age, yet each followed their master obidiently, adjusting to his ridiculously slow paste. The one in the center was a boy with medium-length, black hair, mostly covered by a brown bandana and hazel eyes, that closely scanned the surroundings. His attire consisted of a black shirt with ripped sleeves and a brown vest on top, while pants, in the same color, hid his legs, albeit their trouser legs had countless, tiny rips all around and carried a small sack tied to the belt. A fingerless glove on his right hand and a hitae-ate on the left arm completed the look.

On his right walked the only female in the group; the girl had long, blonde hair, that fell freely down her back, decorated with a lotus flower tied around her left ear. Her green eyes sparkled as her generally warm exterior seemed to gather the midday sun. Her dress was a yellow kimono, decorated with black branches and a large, purple ribbon tied on her back, which also had a few bottles attached to it, each containing a liquid of a different color. Much like her instructor, her headband was tied around her neck.

The last member of the squad was a boy, slightly younger then the other two; this one had long, messy, black hair and blue eyes, visibly tired. His skin was ghastly pale, albeit his hands seemed to be covered with black spots, resembling scales in appearance. He wore a baggy, green blouse and black pants, while the Kusa hitae-ate decorated his forehead.

The teen suddenly coughed violently, stopping his march, yet most of his team didn't seem to make anything of it. Only the kunoichi froze at the scene, giving her companion a worried look: "Seriously Nekkei, I cannot understand why you decided to tag along" she announced, putting her fists on her hips. "You know traveling such a long distance can be disastrous for your condition..."

"Can't be helped" the boy replied, wiping a tiny speck of blood from his lips. "To enter the exams, you need a three-man team and you know there was no replacement for me" he added weakly, resuming his walk.

"Yeah, but we could've sit this year out" the girl snapped, throwing her hands to the sky as she followed her sick comrade. "You know Kusa is supposed to organize these exams next time!"

"True" Nekkei nodded at her observation. "But then we wouldn't be able to come to Konoha and I imagine this trip means a lot to Kouba" he responded, shifting his eyes towards their team's final member, who was still carefully looking around the streets, paying little attention to anything else.

"_So this is Hidden Leaf_" he concluded, admiring the structures. "_Quite impressive and so much bigger then Kusa_" he admitted just before his eyes caught a glimpse of the Hokage Monument. His gaze settled of the gargantuan faces, forcing him to stop on the spot. "_Is that...?_" he began, yet never got to finish the thought as the elder hurried the trio:

"Move it, brats! I wish to check in for the night!"

The three shifted their heads towards their master and followed, heading down the street, straight to the center of the village...

-That time, local shrine-

"Toramaru-kun, you finally made it!" a cheerful voice greeted the blond as he reached the top of the stairs, followed by his cell and the team of cloud-nins. "And Naraku-san is here too!" the blue-haired girl added, jumping onto the white-eyed boy's neck and then wrapped her arm around the young Uchiha as well. "It's been ages!"

"Nice to see you too, Shunrai" the son of Hokage replied with a smile at the sight of his old friend. "It really has been a while, haven't it? I see you decided to grow your hair even longer?" he noted, looking at the blue cape going down the female's back. "It suits you" he proclaimed, making a blush cover the kunoichi's face.

"_So they're the ones Hitomi mentioned?_" Buryaku conclued, shifting her gaze to the right, where two more, rookie gennin stood, observing the whole scene. The first was a chubby boy, who stuffed himself with potato chips, while his partner, the same age as the former, seemed to be heavily sick, coughing every now and then.

"We've _cough_ been waiting _cough_ for you guys" Gitou informed, covering his mouth with a fist. "For a _cough_ while we even _cough_ began thinking you weren't gonna show..."

"Just some, unexpected delay on the way up" Naraku responded, throwing the Kumo team a glare, only now making their friends notice the trio. With a tired expression, the sick teen scanned the three, immediately realizing who they were: "Cloud-nins, huh?"

"Yup" the blond replied cheerfully, extending his hand: "My name's Makaze Fukaru and these are my companions – Kakeme Juryoku and Mekakushi Aitou" he introduced his cell as Gitou suspiciously took his arm.

"Hisakata Gitou" the swordsman responded calmly. "The girl is Shunrai _cough_ and the one devouring his eight bag of potato chips today _cough_ is Akimichi Choumaru" he added, glancing at his chubby teammate.

At the mention of Shunrai's name, Juryoku narrowed her eyes scanning the girl closely. She shifted her attention to Aitou, who stood right behind her, making the boy nod at the speculation: "_This is unexpected_" she thought to herself, yet decided to say nothing. At least for the time being.

"So, why are you guys here?" Toramaru asked, glancing at his former schoolmates. "I can understand Hitomi and her team showing up, but what business could you possibly have to climb all the way up here?" he questioned with a warm laugh.

"Well, Shunrai_ cough_ really wanted to _cough_ stop by" Gitou announced simply with a tone and expression that seemed to beg for a bed and some extreme medicine.

"You did?" the blond asked surprised, turning towards the kunoichi, which in turn made her look away. "Why the heck? It's not like this place is anything special to those outside of my clan..."

"Well, I..." Shunrai began, nervously flipping her fingers. "I... I really wanted to see you, Tora-kun" she managed to speak up and as she gazed into the boy's white eyes, her face turned red, making her look away again, quickly adding an unintended line: "You and Naraku-kun!"

"Yeah, we missed you too" the son of Hokage nodded with a smile, while Buryaku rolled her eyes at the scene: "_How clueless can you be?_" she thought to herself, already deeming the whole thing as too troublesome.

"Either way _cough_ we got recommended to _cough_ take the Chuunin Exam" Gitou announced, diverting everyone's attention from his teammate, whose face was turning redder by the second. "Seeing you here _cough_ I assume we'll be _cough_ seeing you at it as well?"

"Yeah, Teigo-sensei informed us last evening" Naraku nodded at the question. "Apparently it's Hyuuga tradition to come here in these circumstances... but you already knew that" he added, scratching the back of his head at the realization.

"Seems that we are all rivals then" Fukaru stated, surprisingly cheerfully, much to Toramaru's annoyance. "I must say that I didn't expect to meet any teams with a Hyuuga that'll enter the tournament today. This is certainly a good day" he proclaimed satisfied, oblivious to weird glances most of the Leaf gennin gave him.

Choumaru paid little attention to it all, merely throwing the chips to the sky, just to make them rain into his mouth. However, as another piece flew up, a sudden blur snatched it before the tasty treat could reach its destination, making the chubby gennin instantly gaze to the right, following the culprit.

The thief turned out to be a hawk, which landed on the shoulder of a boy only slightly older then the heir of the Akimichi; his mouth was hidden behind the bandages, while his long, black hair, was incredibly messy. His golden eyes gave the impression of being beast-like, despite the boy's exterior, which was less then treating as he tickled the bird bellow its beak. His outfit consisted of a gray t-shirt and black pants, both of which seemed very warned out, while both arms were wrapped in bandaged, much like his mouth. A strange collar, tied around his neck, completed the look.

Just behind him stood two more youngsters, roughly the same age as the boy; the first was a blond with spiky hair and red eyes, with a tattooed, black line going down from his eyes, decorating the cheeks. He wore a white bandana on his forehead and yellow shirt, which sleeves were tucked under metal protectors on his arms. Black pants, in a similar fashion to his companion, and a huge scroll on the back drew attention, but not as much as a hitae-ate with an arrow pointed downwards; a headband which was used as a belt.

The last of the trio was a girl with medium-length, blonde hair, tied in a high ponytail and blue eyes. She also wore a bandana around her forehead, only hers was black, while a yellow, sleeveless top hid a fishnet on her upper body. Short, black pants clad tightly to her legs, while a praying stick in her hand and a hitae-ate around the left arm indicated she was from Hidden Waterfall.

Choumaru cared little for that though, immediately pointing his finger at the brunette with a voice as loud as a foghorn: "You there, bird-brain, what the heck do you think you're doing? That was my chip, dammit! Cough it up!"

"I'm sorry" the boy replied from behind his bandages, only now turning his attention to the chubby gennin. "We meant no harm, but Takamu got hungry and I assume he took the chip as a rare treat. Surely it's not that big a deal, is it?" he question, surprisingly calm and gentle.

"Not a big deal my butt!" the heir of the Akimichi snapped, turning red. "That was my last chip! No one takes my last chip!" he announced, punching his opened palm with a fist, while his face twisted in anger.

"Wait, he's gonna start a fight over that?" Fukaru asked, somewhat nervously, as he turned to the other, Leaf ninja. "This can't be right. Is that guy really so simple-minded to cause trouble over food?"

"Uh-huh" the five gennin nodded in unison, all of them sweat dropping in the process.

"You're making people angry again, Sayoku" the female teammate of the bird master reprimanded her companion, visibly ignoring the chubby boy before them. "You really gotta keep Takamu on a shorter leash, otherwise we'll end up getting the whole village against us."

"He just wants to play" the bandaged teen responded, defending his pet, all the while scratching it beneath the beak. "And I've already apologized, it's not like I can make that chip magically reappear... I doubt there's a kuchiyose for that" he added jokingly, yet Choumaru was definitely not amused.

"Why you" he yelled, throwing a punch forward as his hand grew in size. The two, waterfall-nins reacted instantly and jumped to the side, making the attack hit the floor, cracking it slightly.

"Choumaru, dammit, this is supposed to be a sacred place!" Toramaru snapped at his former classmate's behavior. "Calm down, dunderhead!"

"Well, since he attacked, we can't really let this go, can we?" the female Taki ninja rather stated then asked as she grabbed her stick, quickly performing a seal with her free hand. With a quick thrust of her weapon, she pointed its tip at the chubby gennin and in a flash the latter's world began spinning, virtually turning upside down.

Choumaru stumbled on his feet, desperately trying to keep his balance, yet to no avail as he dropped to his butt, completely dazzled. At this Sayoku released his hawk, making the bird suddenly dive, its talons aimed preciously at the chubby teen's face.

Before the claws reached their target though, Gitou appeared in their way, blocking them with his sword. In a flash the hawk closed its talons, grabbing the blade and flew up, ripping the katana out of the leaf-nin's grasp, leaving the latter defenseless. The bandaged boy reacted immediately, charging forward with kunai ready in his hands.

The coughing boy ducked under the first swing of his opponent's hand and jumped back, avoiding the second, yet the waterfall-nin kept on coming, forcing his adversary back. As Gitou flipped back, hoping to extend the distance between himself and the bird master, Takamu reappeared on the scene, scourging his back with his talons, making the young Hisakata drop to his knee from pain.

Sayoku lunged forward, seeing an opening, but just as he beat the distance, he felt his body getting heavy and a moment later he literally dropped to the ground, unable to lift himself up. With tremendous effort he gazed to the left, spotting Juryoku, who held her hands on the floor, her face surprisingly stoic: "Making this much fuss over a chip... and I thought Fukaru was a loose cannon" she proclaimed with a calm voice.

"There is no need for this to escalate further" her blond teammate announced, his dagger already at the Taki girl's throat. "That... chubby fellow was way out of line, but we all should take a deep breath here, before some gets hurt" he stated and glancing at Gitou, he quickly added: "Well, seriously hurt anyway..."

Choumaru, who was having similar problems to Sayoku, let out a sigh and then spoke up humbly: "Right, I'm sorry. This is totally my bad. Guess I over-reacted a bit..."

"Ya think?"Toramaru snapped again at his friend's casual voice.

"Well, no harm done" announced the last of the waterfall-nins, who only now stepped forward, his face as emotionless as one can be. "Sayoku, Kitou, stand down. It's shameful that you allowed something as petty as this to set you off. It's embarrassing to have you unleash your techniques on someone with that level of skill anyway..."

"That level of skill?" Choumaru repeated, narrowing his eyes.

"I mean nothing by it" the blond assured him. "Just that you are weak."

"We're meeting all sorts of people-persons today, ain't we?" Naraku whispered sarcastically to Buryaku's ear, making the girl nod at the comment. Meanwhile Juryoku retreated her hands from the ground, allowing both Sayoku and the chubby teen to pick themselves off the floor. Simultaneously, Fukaru also released his hold on Kitou.

"I apologize for my teammates' behavior" the blond with a scroll continued, turning towards Gitou. "They can be quite obnoxious, especially towards insignificant people, such as yourselves..."

"_And how are you any better?_" the young Uchiha sweat dropped at the statement.

"It's fine" Gitou replied, rubbing his aching shoulder. "I apologize as well. Chou _cough_ tends to overreact for no reason" he informed, sending his teammate a disapproving glare. A moment later Shunrai reached him, quickly studying the wound. In a flash her hands began glowing green as she placed her palms above the cuts, making the cells regenerate at tremendous speed.

"_She learned medical ninjutsu in barely a year?_" Buryaku instantly thought, widening her eyes at the realization. Before long the process was done and the coughing boy appeared as new. Aitou visibly flinched at the scene, yet Naraku was the only one to notice the twitch.

"Guess everything is fine then" the cloud-nin concluded, slightly baffled by the situation as he sheathed his dagger. "I'm Makaze Fukaru and these are my teammates: Kakeme Juryoku and Mekakushi Aitou" he introduced, pointing at his companions.

"You don't need to be friendly with everyone you meet, ya know" the Kumo kunoichi announced, slightly annoyed as she eyed the boy with a scroll. "Especially with that sort of people. I'll take great pleasure in crushing you during the exams" she proclaimed, still pissed over the last comment of the waterfall-nin.

"Oh?" Sayoku responded with a smile, angering the girl even further. "You sure talk big for someone who merely caught me in her technique... it was quite impressive, I'll give you that, but I believe you're giving yourself too much credit" he added with an apologizing smirk.

"Okay, that's it!" Toramaru snapped, moving in so that his face was merely inches away from the Taki boy. "Listen, dumbass, I have it up to here with people claiming to be superior to us popping up every, five minutes! You wanna go? Bring it!"

"Weren't you the one who asked not to fight in a sacred place?" Buryaku sweat dropped at the sudden change of attitude, yet quickly regained her laid-back exterior as she examined the Waterfall trio: "_But, whichever way you slice it, these Chuunin Exams sure gather a whole bunch of weird... first those cloud-nins, whose abilities I still can't figure out and now these guys... the girl seem to be using some sort of genjutsu, while this Sayoku fellow is clearly a physical fighter, but I doubt they uncovered all their cards... and there's no telling what the third one can do_" she added, shifting her gaze towards the blond with a scroll.

"We've wasted enough time" the teen in question announced, gaining the attention of his teammates. The two instantly obliged, following their leader down the stairs. As the group disappeared from view, Choumaru turned to the others, heavily confused: "What the heck was that about?"

"Why the hell do you ask, you're the one who started throwing punches all of a sudden?" Naraku shoot back, losing his calm. Gitou merely narrowed his eyes at the new rivals that just emerged: "_These upcoming exams... this isn't gonna be a walkover..._"

"Well, that certainly wasn't a reunion I was hoping for" Toramaru smiled apologizingly to Shunrai as he scratched the back of his head. "It really is great to see you though... all of you. And, despite the fact we'll be enemies soon, nothing stops us to catch up before then. What do you guys say to a ramen party?"

"Your treat?" Buryaku asked surprised, while Shunrai smiled shyly. To this the white-eyed boy glanced at Choumaru, flooded with doubts over his answer: "I... I guess" he replied, slightly scared at the sight of the chubby gennin rubbing his hands sheeply.

To this the former cloud-nin giggled, while Fukaru neared the blond, flipping his eyebrows: "Can we come as well?" he questioned, making puppy eyes, yet the effect wasn't exactly what he was aiming for.

"Whatever" Toramaru responded with resignation, too tired to even argue. And so the group headed down the stairs as the sun slowly began to set. None of them even noticed when the day has gone by, bringing the upcoming challenge even closer.

And, as they journeyed towards Ichiraku, Buryaku decided to speak, her voice as calm as always: "Say, Toramaru, I'm curious" she announced, making the boy turn towards her. "Didn't we made this entire trip so that you could send a prayer? Coz I don't recall you doing so..."

At this the blond froze, he jaw hitting the ground at the realization. He glanced over the shoulder at the mountain of stairs they've already passed before his head dropped: "Crude..."

_**-enemies keep on emerging!-**_

And so this chapter ends... the introduction of the Taki team was supposed to be less chaotic as I remember early drafts, but oh well... it turned out goofy, I admit, but it was sorta fun to write :) Next installment will be much more heavy, so the two will balance each other out, I suppose :D

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (?), Gaki Nayamasu (?), Gai Rock (?)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (the girl with a crush on Toramaru), Choumaru Akimichi (the chubby boy), Gitou Hisakata (the coughing boy)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Suna #1 (?):**_ ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_? (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

_**Kumo (?):**_ Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-fooled boy)

_**Kusa (?):**_ ? (girl in a yellow kimono), Ibara Kouba (the boy in worn-out clothes), Utsuru Nekkei (the sick boy)

_**Taki (?):**_ Kitou (the girl with a praying stick), ? (the boy with a large scroll), Sayoku (the boy with bandaged mouth)

Thanks for reading and do review. Tune in next time!


	18. Punchline

Finally I've managed to finish this one :) To be honest, I was anxiously awaiting this chapter since I began writing this fic, but actually writing the material in this update proven to be a bit of a bother to begin... once I started, it took me just two hours to complete it. Why I was anxious over this, particular chapter? Well, I'm not telling yet, but perhaps so of you will notice anyway. What's surprising is the fact that I'm really satisfied with how this installment turned out, which is very rare, so either it's really good... or it sucks so much I fear to admit it :D

With that said, I invite you to the newest chapter of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire"!

**Chapter #18: Punchline  
**

_**Title Page:**_ Toramaru in his fighting stance and Byakugan activated is winking to the 'audience'

Toramaru swallowed another piece of sushi as most of his family sat at the table, enjoying their breakfast. Naruto was absent, as usual, but the young blond choose to ignore that fact. In stead he gazed at his older brother, who was calmly chewing his food, seemingly concentrated on the last, three pieces remaining on his plate.

Noticing his sibling's stare, he shifted his attention to the rookie gennin, rising his eyebrow: "You want something, short stuff?" he asked teasingly, surprised to see his brother remaining calm at his comment: "Yes, actually... you know, I've been nominated to take the upcoming, Chuunin Selection Exam by Teigo-sensei and I've been thinking..."

"Absolutely not" Iruka interrupted him immediately, taking another bite. As Toramaru looked at him shocked, the young chuunin continued, his eyes already traveling back to his breakfast: "I can't tell you what the tests will be, especially since they differ every year. Even if I were to inform you what challenges I had to take, there's no guarantee you'll have to face either of them. Besides, the purpose of the exam is also to test your ability to adapt; if you knew what the test will be, that can be considered cheating..."

"Oh come on, since when fair play is part of shinobi life?" Toramaru pushed.

"I said no" his brother shoot back sternly. "You gotta learn to face the unknown, coz that is also a part of shinobi life" he announced with an annoying smirk, making the other blond shift his attention to the eldest person in the room: "Mom!"

"You should listen to your nii-san, Toramaru" Hinata responded with a gentle smile, taking her eyes of her plate. "He speaks the truth" she proclaimed matter-of-factly, making the boy's face drop. "The only constant in the exam is its final stage."

"Then at least tell me what that is!" the youngster demanded.

"Please, as if, with your current level, you'll make it that far" Iruka laughed, forcing his brother's eye to twitch. Noticing this, the chuunin's face became serious as he straightened out: "I've seen some of the foreigners walking around the village. They'll be taking part in the exams as well, no doubt. To that end I can tell you straight, all jokes aside – they are strong... stronger then you."

"If you're talking about the sand-nins, then I've already had a run-in with those creeps" the other blond replied, waving his hand. "True, they're troublesome, but I don't really think it's anything I can't handle."

"You shouldn't underestimate the Suna shinobi" the head of the Hyuuga announced, taking their plates. "I know from experience they're hellishly strong. And it's not just Hidden Sand really; with the recent alliance between Konoha and Kumo, cloud-nins will be taking part in the exams as well... that's already three of the Great Villages right there and let me tell you – they're great for a reason, which is shinobi strength. Rest assured; that alone provides you with extremely powerful opponents."

"Yeah, not to mention there's also Ame, Kusa, Taki, Kane and Yuki" Iruka added with a nod. "I even heard some new village will be taking part as well, but since I'm not one of the proctors, the information I can gather is scarce..."

"Dad should know something" Toramaru whispered, lowering his head, which made Hinata miss the comment, yet his brother heard it all too well. Looking to the side, a worried expression crossed the young chuunin's face. "Either way" the rookie ninja spoke again, getting of his chair: "Since that's how things are, I suppose it won't hurt to ask Teigo-sensei for some, intensive training before the actual event, especially since we're meeting him this morning... which reminds me, I gotta go" and with that he dashed towards the door: "See ya!"

As the youngster was gone, Hinata turned to her eldest son, a note of dismal in her voice: "You shouldn't say such things in front of Toramaru. He is your brother, after all..."

"Yes" Iruka nodded simply, glancing at the door. "But you know just as well as I do, mother, that these exams carry a risk of losing your life. If he goes in unprepared, it may cost him dearly. Besides, no offense, but shouldn't your, primary concern be your own squad?" he asked, making the woman look away...

-That time, one of Konoha's training grounds-

Gaki delivered another blow to the punching bag, making it fly back towards the tree at high speed. As it began its descent, the muscular gennin threw another fist, repeating the effect. Once the bag came for the third time, he tossed his arm back for a greater speed and with a thrust hit his target again, literally ripping it to bits.

He gazed unfazed at his handiwork and then shifted his eyes to his arm as he began closing and opening his fist: "_Seems that I'm still not quite there in regulating the force_" he complained to himself. "_But, at the very least, it doesn't burn anymore..._" and with that thought, his head turned left as weak clapping reached his ears.

"You have quite a punch there" announced a boy few years older then him as he applaud the spectacle. The teen had short, spiky, violet hair and gray eyes, while his attire consisted of sleeveless, purple shirt and gray, baggy pants, held by a belt slightly tilted at the boy's hip. Both his arms were wrapped in bandages halfway to the elbows, while the rest of his hands was covered in black markings. His left ear sported seven, round, metallic earrings, but the most surprising feature was the lack of any weapons, especially since the arrival was clearly a ninja, as his hitae-ate, covering his forehead, indicated. The symbol on it was not a Leaf however; it represented an anvil with a hammer above it.

"_Metal-nins?_" Gaki narrowed his eyes as he noticed two, more figures standing behind the teen. The one on the violethead's left was definitely a girl, slightly younger then the boy, with medium-length, light-blue hair, clipped in two pigtails and eyes in the same color. A small bandaged, decorated her left cheek, while her outfit was made of white tank top hunging only on the right side, exposing her navel and cream, cargo pants with trouser legs ripped at the very top, leaving all of her legs uncovered. A black, knee-long sock on the right leg and a forehead protector tied around the neck completed the look, but the Leaf gennin also noticed a large, crescent-moon blade attached to the kunoichi's back.

The last member of the group was the hardest to figure out as his entire body was clad in golden armor, leaving only a small visor for the eyes uncovered. His mouth was hidden behind a solid plate, while his head donned a helmet with large spike going outwards on both sides and two, smaller ones growing from the center of the headgear. A large ruby with his village's symbol was placed at the bottom of the smaller pair, right in the middle. His full-body armor sported a large sapphire in the chest, along with heavy-looking shoulder protectors as well as cover for his arms and legs, each enforced with square domes. Gaki also took note of a halberd with a huge blade carried by the knight on his back.

"Who the hell are you guys?" the leaf-nin demanded with a stoic voice, making the teen in front stop the applause. The Kane gennin lowered his arms and with voice just as calm as his precedor, her responded: "We're actually looking for a training ground to hone our skills. We figured this one will do" he added, much to Gaki's annoyance.

"This one's already occupied. Buzz off" he replied in an ordering tone, narrowing his eyes further.

"Oh, but we don't know the village and it may take us a while before we find another spot" the gray-eyed boy countered. "Being a good host, you should move" he proclaimed, almost as if he was mocking the Leaf gennin. Frankly, it was highly possible that was preciously the case.

"I don't give a rat's ass about being a good host" Gaki shoot back, going into a fighting stance. "Get lost or I'll make you" he warned, yet the threat didn't seem to make any impression on the metal-nin as he merely glanced at his posture with mild interest.

"Really, you think you can take all three of us by yourself?" he rather stated then asked, a note of annoyance finally showing in his voice. "That's quite an insult. Honestly, I was considering letting you live, but with this, I guess I gotta teach about the world" he announced, placing his foot on the fence, ready to jump over it.

Before he managed to do so, the knight stopped him, putting his halberd in the gray-eyed teen's way. The boy gazed at his teammate, but the one to speak was the girl: "Kousotsu-kun is right, Toukai-san... there's no point for you to waste your strength on a nobody like him. Heck, even I'm unnecessary... Kou-chan alone can behead this one..."

"Oh?" Gaki raised an eyebrow, visibly angered. "Now who's underestimating who?" he questioned before dashing forward, his fist ready. As his punch flew through the air, the kunoichi and the violet-haired teen jumped away, allowing the attack to break through the fence and dig into the ground, digging a significant hole in it.

The armored ninja, Kousotsu, merely glanced down at the damage and then back at the leaf-nin. Without a word he spun the weapon in his grip, mesmerizing the muscular gennin and then, stopping suddenly, he swung horizontally at the latter's head, forcing Gaki to duck under the assault.

Without delay the taijutsu expert retaliated, delivering a punch to the knight's chest, yet the attack seemed to have no effect as the metal-nin quickly stopped his halberd in mid-swing and had it change direction, coming at his adversary again. Having no way to dodge, the Konoha gennin blocked with his arms, the impact sending him sliding to his enemy's side.

"_Despite the weight of that thing, he sure is capable of operating it freely_" Gaki concluded as Kousotsu charged at him, thrusting his weapon at his chest. The muscular boy side-stepped the assault and using his left hand to tap the halberd sideways, he went in for a counter, punching the chest again and then brought his left arm forward, smashing it against the front of the helmet.

Also this had no effect as the Kane gennin didn't even seem to move. In stead, he retreated his weapon and with the blade located before his opponent, he spun it, bringing the blade at the top of taijutsu master's head.

With no point in blocking, the leaf-nin rolled to the right, making the attack hit the ground, creating an even bigger hole then his punch from earlier, if only by little: "_What the hell?_" he wondered as he rose back to his feet and charged the enemy, ramming the latter's side with his elbow.

The force made Kousotsu take a step to the side, yet Gaki wasn't done as he instantly threw an uppercut, his fist slamming into the helmet from the left. A loud 'bong' echoed through the street while the young gennin's other arm went into motion, again punching the knight's chest. Using the momentum to put his body into a spin, the Konoha shinobi froze, his face in front of the armored fighter once more. Before the Kane ninja could react, the muscular youth threw his fist, attacking the chest.

As the assault connected, Gaki noted that aside for the first step, his adversary haven't moved at all. Even more displeasing was the fact his halberd was on the offensive again, cutting horizontally from the leaf-nin's right.

Again the taijutsu expert relocated himself and raised both hands in defense as he took a step to the right. The blade missed him by inches, yet the handle rammed right into his block, pushing the boy sideways, straight against the wall. Gaki felt his back aching slightly, while his eyes registered that the top of the weapon broke the wall, creating a spacious hole.

"Enough child's play" the muscular boy announced annoyed, throwing his arms apart, the momentum blasting the halberd back, leaving Kousotsu completely open. Using that, the leaf-nin spun on his foot, immediately throwing a punch to the chest. His hand retreated, while the second flew forward, hitting the exact same spot as the first, only twice as fast... and twice as hard.

The taijutsu expert improved the damaged with the third hit, still increasing both power and velocity. The forth strike was accompanied by a 'bang', loud enough to reach the end of the street, while the fifth gave an impression of a blast, the sound of impact thundering in the ears of those gathered.

The sixth punch finally pushed the knight a little back, all the while Gaki's right fist gathered chakra, which formed a spinning barrier around the arm. With a wild roar, the leaf-nin thrust his hand at the armored shinobi's mid-section, the impact sending the latter sliding back several meters, clearing having the most effect out of all the attacks thus far.

The taijustu expert didn't hid his disbelief, widening his eyes at the sight of the aftermath: "_Not even a crack? That's not possible! Assai Genko is specifically designed to destroy solid barrier! That stinking, golden armor of his should break to pieces!_" he clenched his teeth as Kousotsu jumped to the air, spinning his halberd above head.

Having the sun directly behind his back, the knight used the light to blind Gaki as he came down, his sapphire releasing a brief, blue flash. The leaf-nin could do no more then roll aside as the blade dropped, digging into the ground at the very spot he stood less then a second earlier.

His shock deepened as upon impact, the weapon made the ground shake, blasting rocks aside as it sunk lower, creating a crater that spread through the whole width of the street.

"_Are you freakin kidding me with this?_" the taijutsu expert's eyes narrowed at the sight. "_How can he muster more force then Crushing Fist with a physical attack?_" he had no time to analyze the question though as a whistling noise reach his ears.

Instinctually he bended forward, dodging a cut from the crescent-moon blade which the Metal kunoichi swung at the back of his head. More angered then surprised, Gaki spun on his foot to face the new opponent and threw a punch to her face, which the girl easily avoided, strafing right.

With a wide grin, the female reached for her hostel, unleashing a barrage of shuriken, yet the muscular gennin made little of it as he drilled his arm into the ground, only to rip it out a moment later, dragging a large rock along with it.

The shinobi stars bounced off the stone while the leaf-nin was already making use of his free hand, delivering a punch to his side of the rock. In a flash the massive boulder bolted forward, right at the kunoichi.

With no chance to block, the female jumped to the left just as the rock smashed into pieces upon landing. To her dismal however, her adversary was already behind her, throwing a downward punch to the back of her neck; a blow that, if as strong as the previous, would undoubtfully break her spine.

Fortunately for her, Gaki never managed to to connect the assault as the handle of Kousotsu's halberd smashed his stomach, sending him back, sliding on the ground. Stopping his trip with his left hand, he send the knight a furious glare, yet glanced over his shoulder as a familiar voice came from behind:

"As you said – enough child's play" Toukai announced, performing a quick set of seals. Before the last symbol could be completed though, a new figure appeared, grabbing him by the wrist. The metal-nin gave an annoyed look to his left where a very strange-looking boy stood, with a kunoichi with a cat supporting the latter from behind.

"Knowing Gaki, I'm sure that he does deserves a beating" admitted a boy with bowl-like haircut. "And there is a high possibility he's the one that started this fight" he added, glancing at the muscular teen. "However, I do dislike bullies and, ironically, in this situation, you guys classify, so how about we all just take a deep breath and calm our youthful spirits, before someone really gets hurt?"

"No-one asked you to interfere, Gai" Gaki responded, cracking his knuckles as he settled his sight on the armored warrior. "I can handle this myself" he proclaimed, visibly angry.

"Can you?" repeated a girl his age with short, red hair and a black cat sitting on her shoulder. "Coz by the look of things that may not be the case. Besides, haven't you started wondering why those guys are here, despite not being from Konoha?" she asked, much to the boy's annoyance. Obviously, he didn't bothered with trivial thoughts like that.

"You're here for the exams, aren't you?" the boy, Gai, asked rhetorically, releasing Toukai from his grip. "As far as I know, fighting outside the exams is forbidden as so, if you'll continue, we all may be disqualified. Who wants that?"

"Fine" the gray-eyed teen responded after a moment of hesitation. "We wasted enough time already; we weren't only looking for a training ground, but with this, little sparring, I suppose we can consider I morning workout done for. Lets go" he ordered his companions, making Kousotsu comply immediately.

The girl snarled at the predicament, yet followed as well, sending the muscular boy one, final glance, sticking out her tongue as their eyes meet. Once they left, the cat kunoichi walked over to her teammate, slightly worried: "Are you alright?"

"Don't ask stupid questions" Gaki responded rudely with a frown. "As if people of that level could really do any damage to my body..."

"Well, that armored guy seemed to be doing pretty good in that department" Gai stated, sending a quick glance after the trio. "Especially that last attack... it's like his strength was constantly growing. If that is the case, the longer you fought, the more powerful he becomes..."

"Please" the muscular boy spat, rolling his eyes. "No such technique exists..."

"Then how do you explain his strength?" the redhead demanded with a teasing voice. Gaki merely let out air through the nose at the question. Clearly, he had no answer. In stead, the one to speak was Gai: "Hinako-san is right; regardless to what the mechanics behind that was, that armor fellow is gonna be a problem..."

"What the hell, Toukai-san?" the girl demanded once they were out of hearing range. "Why do we leave? We could've rip the to shreds!"

"Possibly, but this was growing tiresome" the gray-eyed boy responded simply, his face as calm as always. The kunoichi let out a frown at the comment, looking away. After a short silence, she added, her voice once more cheerful: "Well, it's not like it was any fun anyway... that guy didn't even made a dent in Kou-kun's armor..."

"Obviously you paid no attention to the fight, Moroha" Toukai announced, making the female glance at him confused. "Didn't you noticed? He kept punching Kousotsu and while he was unable to break through the armor, his knuckles weren't even bruised. It's safe to assume it's not just his fists, but somehow he managed to reinforce his skin as well. Nothing special, granted, but he may be interesting to deal with" he added, a tiny smirk appearing on his face.

Little that none of them knew, three figures observed the whole scene from a nearby tree, their faces hid under the shadows of the leaves;

"So, any thoughts?" asked the first in a female voice, dressed in what appeared to be a kimono as she propped her hand against the trunk of the tree. The one to respond sat next to her with his legs swaying freely under him, his head hidden by a large headgear, while his back sported several umbrellas: "Well, nothing to be excited about" he replied calmly with an emotionless monotone. "I am curios over the trick behind that armor guy, but those leaf-nins are nothing special... at least not in comparison to that Suna guy from the other day... what was his name again?"

"Shikyo, I think" the female replied thoughtfully, glancing upwards. "And yeah, he was a scary kid. Eh, Shunsai-san?" she asked the third member of the group, who was currently sitting above them, his arm and chin resting on top of his knee.

"Obviously you two are easily impressed" he stated in a bored tone. "This is still nothing that we cannot handle. Also, what is worrying, is that violet-hair's ability..."

"What do you mean?" the headgear figure questioned, somewhat confused.

"Couldn't you feel it?" the other man, Shunsai, responded patiently. "I could feel his chakra flow just before he was stopped by that bowl-cut freak... it was... disturbing, to say the least. The other five are nothing, but that Metal guy... he could mean trouble..."

_**-even more enemies emerge... and the exam draws near-**_

TADAM! And so every, rookie gennin team from the Leaf got introduced :) Hope you enjoyed the chapter and that the slower pace allows you to keep track of all the new characters. The rooster is still lacking some teams, but on the plus side, after next chapter, the exams will be starting.

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (the redhead girl with a black cat), Gaki Nayamasu (the muscular boy), Gai Rock (the boy with a bowl-like haircut)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (the girl with a crush on Toramaru), Choumaru Akimichi (the chubby boy), Gitou Hisakata (the coughing boy)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Suna #1 (?):**_ ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_? (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

_**Kumo (?):**_ Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-fooled boy)

_**Ame (?):**_ ? (the kimono wearing girl), Shunsai Irezumi (?), ? (the boy with a headgear)

_**Kane (?):**_ Moroha Gengetsu (the girl with a crescent-moon blade), Toukai Kurogane (the violet-haired boy), Kousotsu (the armored boy)

_**Kusa (?):**_ ? (girl in a yellow kimono), Kouba Ibara (the boy in worn-out clothes), Nekkei Utsuru (the sick boy)

_**Taki (?):**_ Kitou (the girl with a praying stick), ? (the boy with a large scroll), Sayoku (the boy with bandaged mouth)

_Assai Genko_ (Crushing Fist)

And this concludes the chapter. Once more I hoped you enjoyed it, please leave a review and until next time!


	19. Cold Greetings

Took me a bit, but finally I've managed to complete this chappie :) This whole "Chuunin Exam Intro" arc sure took more outta me then I've anticipated, so I'm kinda glad I can finally put it behind me and get to the "good stuff" :D

There will be a special announcement next time around, so do look forward to that and... well, enjoy the newest installment of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire" (seriously, that's one heck of a mouth-full ^^'):

**Chapter #19: Cold Greetings**

_**Title Page:**_ Buryaku is sleeping under the tree, while in the background, just above her, Shikamaru is sawing a log

A loud splash echoed through the area as Toramaru's body sunk into the pond. The blond quickly swam back up, gasping for air, while the water cascaded down his face. With an annoyed look he shifted to the left, were Naraku was barely holding himself above the waterline, knee deep in the liquid. The white eyes of the boy were more interested in their teacher though; a man observing them from under the tree, his arms crossed.

"What the heck, Teigo-sensei?" Toramaru snapped, already discouraged. "How the heck is this supposed to make us stronger for the exams? We should be learning some, cool techniques! And why isn't Buryaku included in this?"

"That's because her chakra control exceeds yours and by quite much" the masked jounin replied simply, gazing at the boy. "I already explained this to you guys; with your skills, learning new jutsu would be pointless, coz it'd only result in you wasting your energy. First you should master this exercise. With it, you'll have much greater reserves in a fight and will be able to last longer. This is especially essential to Naraku, ever since he started using the Kage Bunshin, but it'll be helpful to you as well, Toramaru – with your Hyuuga style, you base most of your attacks on chakra. I'd imagine you, of all people, should be able to realize how important it is to have total control over its emission."

"Fine" the blond snarled as he lifted himself up, once more staying above water on all fours, A moment later he stood up straight, immediately sinking beneath the surface a bit: "This is exhausting though..."

"If it was easy, you wouldn't need to learn it" the former sound-nin noted calmly and then looked over his shoulder, where Buryaku has just appeared, panting heavily as sweat dripped down her face; "_Well, I could expect as much from those two, but for her to actually put so much effort into training... what happened during those few days I haven't seen them?_"

"I'm... done... with... the technique... Teigo-sensei" the kunoichi announced between inhales, handing the man a scroll. "Could you... give me... another?" she asked, giving him a weak glance.

"What the...?" Toramaru quickly put two and two together. "So you're teaching her new skills?" he accused, pointing a finger, which instantly resulted in another bath. The jounin paid little attention to the rant though as he shrugged, picking out another scroll: "That's kinda an overstatement, considering I'm watching the two of you; Buryaku learns the techniques on her own, I just provide her with means to do so" he proclaimed, giving the girl the scroll. "Besides, unlike you two, she doesn't have a bloodline limit to back her up. She's also more of a defensive type, having little to no offensive moves. Plus my nature affinity is wind, just like her's, so logically from you three she can gain the most from technique training with me. For you guys it'd be more beneficial to find someone closer to your element as an instructor..."

"So, how is your training proceeding then, Buryaku?" Naraku asked curiously as he flipped his arms, trying to keep the balance.

"So-so" the blonde replied calmly, although her voice seemed to possess more emotion then usual. "I did only master two skills" she added like it was nothing, which did annoy Toramaru to some extend, he decided to keep that to himself though. Again he concentrated chakra in his feet, took a step towards the water... and splashed right in as a sudden voice made him loose his balance:

"Intensive training, I see... I thought they taught water-walking in the Academy these days..."

The group to the fence surrounding the pond, noticing a duo of teen observing them curiously. Teigo's eyes narrowed at the very sight of the two, shown little, other indication he took note of the new arrivals. Naraku on the other hand, taught be the experience of previous days, scanned them carefully.

The one to speak was a boy, roughly fifteen years of age, with spiky, black hair and golden, almost snake-like eyes. His skin was a bit pale, while his left ear was decorated with three, triangular earrings. His outfit consisted of a black, training robe with thorn off sleeves and golden lining at the front. Pants in the same color wrapped around his legs, while an arm protector made of scales hid his right hand. His hitae-ate with the symbol of Konoha rested on his forehead.

The boy's companion was a girl of the same age with medium-length, blue hair, clipped in spiky ponytail, which allowed to strands to frame her pretty face. Her eyes were hazel, while her attire was made of a gray, sleeveless kimono, a short wristbands in the same color, with a line pattern on the right arm, tight, black pants barely covered the upper half of her legs and the Leaf's headband was tied around her neck. The most surprising feature however, aside from a strangely well-developed chest for a girl her age, was the fact that her left arm donned a metal protector, decorated with colorful gems – sapphire, emerald, ruby, topaz and amber.

"Who the heck are you guys?" Toramaru asked, crawling out of the water as a tiny blush appeared on his face at the sight of the girl. The pale-skinned teen seemed to notice that immediately and laughed wholeheartedly, placing his arm on the female's shoulder: "Oh, don't worry; Madoka-chan has that effect on guys all the time..."

"I have no idea wha..." the blond began, but at this time Teigo decided to join in: "What are you two doing here?" he demanded, crossing his arms, immediately making the boy's smile disappear as he gazed at the masked jounin.

"Just a little walk" he finally replied with uncaring voice. "It's not like it's forbidden, is it? We really ran into you guys by chance, but I was kinda anxious about meeting up with the famous Teigo group! I heard you fought some sound-nins. For various reasons, Madoka-chan and I would be quite interested in learning more about that..."

"Well, you will not" the man responded sternly.

"That's kinda rude, Teigo-san" the teen noted, keeping his calm. "We bare no ill-will towards you or your students, even though we'll soon become enemies" he added, making Buryaku instantly put tow and two together:

"So you'll be participating in the Chuunin Exam as well?" she rather stated then asked, yet still Madoka gave her a nod while a cheerful voice escaped her lips: "Yep... Monuke-kun and I will finally get a chance to show off our skills! We didn't get a chance to do so last time, so it'll be our first entry!" she proclaimed, clapping her hands together as she jumped up, also making her chest bounce, to which Toramaru reacted instantly.

Naraku's face also turned a bit red, yet he managed to recompose himself quite quickly, barely keeping his knees above the water: "So why socialize with us, since we'll just end up on the opposite sides anyway?"

"Oh come on" the pale boy replied instantly in an almost teasing manner: "Even rivals can respect each other and we are from the same village, so once the exams finish, we'll be allies again... provided we'll all survive, that is" he added jokingly with an evil smirk, which gave the young Uchiha his first bath today.

"Survive?" Naraku panicked a bit, floating above water.

"Well, yeah" Monuke shrugged at the question. "I heard of cases where gennin couldn't continue on as shinobi or even died during these exams. It's quite competitive and you'll be going against the best ninja from all the allied villages... even if our Leaf comrades won't be aiming for the kill, it's highly possible other participants won't share that sentiment" he laughed a tad nervous, making Toramaru gaze at him annoyed, Naraku a bit uncomfortable, while Buryaku allowed herself to sweat drop.

"Oh, I'm sure strong guys like you won't get killed" Madoka teased, winking towards the boys, once more forcing blush on their faces. The lazy gennin rolled her eyes at her teammates' behavior and stepped forward, her face indifferent: "You're giving those dunderheads too much credit..." she announced, while Teigo gazed to the sky.

"Got that right" another voice came as a figure dropped from above, stopping preciously on the surface of the pond. Before either of the gennin could react, the arrival slammed his palm to the water, making it freeze instantly, trapping Naraku by his torso, while Toramaru gotten his ankles stuck.

"_Hyouton?_" the masked jounin analyzed, narrowing his eyes. "_But isn't that a Kiri bloodline?_" he wondered as the figure rose back to a standing position, aconfident smile plastered on its face. As it turned out, the attack was a young man, about twenty years of age, with medium-length, red hair and a beard that wrapped around his mouth. Sky-blue eyes settled on the leaf-nins gathered as two, more figures walked behind him.

His attire was made of a blue shwal, tied on his head, a black shirt with a red unbuttoned vest on top and tight, black pants. The most surprising feature however was the fact that the man had metallic gloves covering his palms and the typical, shinobi sandals were replaced with boots of a similar manner. A moment later Buryaku also noticed a hitae-ate with four, small circles tied around his left arm.

"_Snow-nins_" the blonde realized as she shifted her gaze to the other two. The one on her right was another man, slightly older then the previous and had a belly that even Choumaru would find too fat. He had short, spiky, blond hair, which strands fell freely on his face, covering most of his green eyes. His outfit was made of a baggy, blue blouse and pants, while his village's headband was tied around the neck. Another feature was a wide, metallic shield with a glowing gem in the middle that was covering his back.

The last of the trio and obviously the eldest was a man with long, blond hair and mustache, whose blue eyes gave an impression of being arctic cold. He carried a horned helmet on his head, while a body armor tightly covered most of his torso and blue shirt beneath. His baggy, blue pants were tied with a violet belt, to which a sheathed sword was hung. His forehead protector was in its rightful place, while his right arm was completely mechanic.

"Oh come on!" Toramaru snapped, visibly annoyed. "Can at least one team that came here to take the exam NOT attack us?" he asked, while Buryaku sweat dropped. Certainly she had the exact same feeling. Monuke however acted very differently: "What is the meaning of your assault?" he demanded, eying the trio suspiciously. "Surely we've done nothing to provoke this."

"Does there really need to be a reason to fight one another?" the swordsman responded with a smirk, throwing his hands to the side as he stepped forward, the duo now occupying the center of the frozen pond. "After such a long journey, we got worried we'll be a little rusty, so it's fully understandable Erikku wanted to test his abilities out. We do come from a much colder region, y'know..."

"Don't play that with me" the pale teen warned, narrowing his eyes.

"Or you'll what?" the snow-nin pushed with a wider smirk, slowly reaching for the sword.

"Enough!" Teigo finally decided to interrupt as he joined them on the pond. With a quick seal, he swung his arm, making a loud noise escape his melody arm, breaking the ice in a flash. The three Yuki ninja, as well as Monuke and the masked man remained above water, but Naraku instantly disappeared bellow the surface, as did Toramaru, tumbling backwards at the sudden release.

Madoka giggled at the outcome, yet Buryaku only let out a sigh: "_Those two are making us look like idiots_" she thought miserably. Her instructor had other concerns however: "I assume you're here for the examples, but I will not tolerate causing trouble needlessly. Thus you have a choice – you can either calm down now or I'll take you on myself."

"You're quite confident for just one guy" the mysterious snow-nin stated, shifting his gaze towards him. "What makes you think you can take all three of us at once?"

"You're obviously Yuki gennin" the lazy kunoichi cut in with her all-knowing tone. "To that end, you really can't measure up to Teigo-sensei, who's already of jounin rank. Also, judging from your looks, it's safe to assume you're already over twenty years old; being gennin for such a long amount of time shows you probably have little skills..."

"Oh?" the redhead raised his eyebrow at the accusation. "So what does it say about your friends, who have just gotten their butts handed to them by us?" he puzzled with a smirk.

"Well... they're idiot" Buryaku shrugged simply.

"Hey!" Toramaru objected as he once more crawled out of the water. "Don't spread around nonsense! I'm intelligent enough to know snow-nins are always equipped with chakra absorbing armors! I see nothing like that on those guys, so..."

"So you are an idiot" the redhead, Erikku, announced with a laugh as he lifted up his glove: "Technology moves forward, brat. Hidden Snow has already shifted its research to other areas, since those armors proven ineffective in the long-run. The three or us are armed with state-of-the-art advancements in shinobi equipment!"

"Erikku, could you not go around, telling everyone about our strengths?" the blond swordsman ordered, obviously angered.

"It's not like this will help those losers any" the redhead responded with a frown and then turned to their third teammate: "Isn't that right, Orafu?"

"True" the chubby man nodded instantly. "Those three brats... their battle level isn't even fifty" he stated, making Naraku look at him confused: "Battle level? What the hell are you talking about?"

To this the shield wielder rose his hair, revealing that his left eye was a metallic one, currently starring straight at the young Uchiha: "My pupil possesses the means to evaluate the fighting capabilities of the individual based on their chakra reserves, physical attributes and your nature type; that is called 'battle level'. Commonly, any shinobi that can be considered worthy, has that measurement set on at least 50..."

"That is ridiculous" Toramaru shoot back. "You can't tell a person's strength just from that!"

"No, you cannot" Orafu agreed, nodding. "But it does give you the general idea of how dangerous another ninja can be, as it determines their overall potential. For example, it's meaningless to know powerful techniques, if you can't execute them properly. Battle level decides preciously that chance of performing such deeds... and if you don't believe me, then let me inform you – this masked guy here, who you have such high respect for, has one on the scale of 342!"

"_Bellow fifty and... three hundred forty two?_" the white-eyed boy repeated in his head, his eyes blasting open. "_Is the gap... really that wide?_"

"This is rubbish"Teigo announced with the wave of his hand. "Such numbers mean absolutely nothing; in a fight, you can never tell who's gonna win unless you actually see it through to the end. The victor isn't always decided by physical traits..."

"Whatever" the swordsman finally took his hand of the handle as he spun around. "You guys are no fun to begin with and we still need to check into a hotel. It's a shame I didn't get to play myself, but there'll be plenty of time for that, once the exams begin. Lets go" he commanded, making the other two comply immediately.

"Dammit, those exams attract all sorts of weirdos" Naraku stated as the trio went out of earshot. "And how come all of those weirdos aim for us?" he snapped, fatigue beaming from his voice.

"Maybe you just have those sort of faces" Monuke joked, shrugging, which instantly made a vein pulse on Toramaru's head, while the blue-haired girl giggled again. "Anyway, Madoka-chan and I have squad business as well, so I guess we'll leave you to your training and see you at the event..."

"Yeah, I guess you will" the white-eyed boy replied, still eying them suspiciously. But noticing that, the kunoichi smirked and sent him a kiss, once more turning the blond's face into a beetroot.

"Out of pure curiosity – is there a village you two DON'T intend to make your enemy?" Buryaku asked with a bored expression as she gazed at her comrades, both soaking wet.

"And how is this our fault?" Toramaru argued, spreading his arms in helplessness. "It's all those, other teams that have some serious, anger management issues! I swear, this makes me feel like a hero of some, stupid shounen manga, where every strong guy is out to get you!"

Meanwhile, the three snow-nins marched through the streets of Konoha, Erikku visibly agitated: "Balegu, what the hell? That masked jounin aside, we could've taken them. Why spoil the fun?"

"As usual, you see little beyond the tip of your nose" the swordsman responded with a stoic face. "Can't you sense anything?" he asked, shifting his gaze towards Orafu, who only nodded at the questioning glare: "Then it's just as I thought..."

"Thought what?" the redhead demanded.

"Those, other two... that pale brat and big-boob babe... they're far stronger then you'd expect of a gennin... I assume their battle level was above hundred... that's not a number a rookie should possess..."

"Don't kid around" Erikku shoot back annoyed. "Even we barely exceed hundred, there's no way those kids could be at that level! If anything, Orafu's meter must be broken!"

"Perhaps" the swordsman, Balegu, replied calmly with a nod. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out for those two... and there's still a matter of their teammate, whom we know nothing of... certainly, those exams could prove much more fun then we've anticipated" he announced as a smirk crept onto his face again...

-That time, Konoha alleyways-

A young boy, merely fifteen, walked into the dark alley and as he glanced around, making sure he wasn't followed, he dropped to his knee, bowing respectfully towards the darkness. The teen had short, black hair with a fringe that formed a peak over his face as he kept his red eyes down. His attire consisted of a white t-shirt with the kanji for 'leaf' on the back and black pants with three, red stripes going down each trouser leg. Konoha's hitae-ate could also be spotted around his left arm.

"Everything is proceeding as planned" he announced into darkness, remaining still.

"Good" a grim voice echoed through the alley. "It's quite fortunate you and your teammates were recommended to take the exams. This will make the plan go more smoothly. We will be counting on you to do the job on your end. I assume you remember the task, Kouhai?"

"Of course" the boy nodded slightly. "Until further notice, my mission is to support the squad, allowing it to reach the final stage of the exams, along with completing data on some of the participants. Most of them shouldn't be a problem, however I assume Monuke will be my priority?"

"Indeed" the voice replied, amused by the young ninja's perceptiveness. "You always were the smart one, Kouhai. With recent developments, Monuke's... unique heritage will certainly come in handy. He might prove essential when Hidden Sound decides to make their next move..."

"So, is he more of a thumb card... or a bargain?"

"You need not concern yourself over that" the shadows assured him. "What you have is your mission, that's all; while keeping eye on Monuke, you should not forget of your own heritage..."

"Of course" Kouhai agreed with another nod as he finally rose back to his feet. "It is my duty to support the great tree of Konoha... as the last of the Shimura!"

"Well said" the voice announced as another figure stepped out of the darkness; a man clad in black with a cat-like, white mask covering his face. "Soon we will be ready and all who dared push Konoha into this, pitiful state it is now, shall pay... for the good of the leaves... Roots will once more grow!"

And so the sun sets on the horizon, ending another day. Young shinobi gather to what shall be the greatest challenge they had to face in their lives, all carrying their hopes and dreams. Clash is unavoidable, but who among them has the strength to remain standing once the smoke clears? These sort of questions plague them all, whether they choose to show it or not and in great anticipation, they move forward... for the day of the Exams... has finally arrived...

_**-now the real challenge begins!-**_

And this concludes this chapter as well as "Chuunin Exam Introduction" Arc"! With this, MOST of the more important gennin has already been introduced (there's still few on the way), but now I can fully get to the actual tests :D Naturally, those of you who are familiar with my NNG know that you shouldn't expect a simple redo of the manga, but I ain't telling what the first exam is gonna be ;P

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (the redhead girl with a black cat, Kuroki), Gaki Nayamasu (the muscular boy), Gai Rock (the boy with a bowl-like haircut)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (the girl with a crush on Toramaru), Choumaru Akimichi (the chubby boy), Gitou Hisakata (the coughing boy)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Konoha (?):**_ Madoka Garasu (the girl with gems), Kouhai Shimura (Danzou's cousin), Monuke (the pale-skinned boy)

_**Suna #1 (?):**_ ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_? (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

_**Kumo (?):**_ Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-fooled boy)

_**Ame (?):**_ ? (the kimono wearing girl), Shunsai Irezumi (?), ? (the boy with a headgear)

_**Kane (?):**_ Moroha Gengetsu (the girl with a crescent-moon blade), Toukai Kurogane (the violet-haired boy), Kousotsu (the armored boy)

_**Kusa (?):**_ ? (girl in a yellow kimono), Kouba Ibara (the boy in worn-out clothes), Nekkei Utsuru (the sick boy)

_**Taki (?):**_ Kitou (the girl with a praying stick), ? (the boy with a large scroll), Sayoku (the boy with bandaged mouth)

_**Yuki (?):**_ Orafu Futotta (the fat guy with the shield), Erikku Hakabakashi (the redhead), Balegu Seiretsu (the swordsman)

And this truly concludes this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it, along with the new characters. Please review before leaving and see you next time!


	20. The Exams Begin!

And the next chapter is done! I was actually anxiously awaiting the start of the exams, coz I felt introducing all the gennin was getting redundant (I actually have Buryaku comment on that in this chapter even :D). As promised in the previous chapter, these exams will be different from the ones you know from the manga, though some aspects remain. Hope I'll manage to make them both original and interesting enough. How many tests will there be? Heh, you'll need to find that out yourselves ;P

Also, following the tradition of NNG, I'd like to announce the first ever Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire **Character Popularity Poll!** The rules are generally the same as in NNG, but I do realize not all of you read both, so the details are given at the end of the chapter, along with the full, character list.

With that said, lets get to where the "action" is:

**Chapter #20: The Exams Begin!**

_**Title Page:**_ a hot, summer day – Naraku in short pants in laying on a chair, flipping a fan at himself in hope to cool off at least a little bit

"Come on, Buryaku, move it" Toramaru rushed his friend as the trio walked down the street, towards bunker #21 – the gathering spot for the first Chuunin Selection Exam. Both the white-eyed boy and Naraku were pretty psyched over the event, but the kunoichi shown her usual... enthusiasm.

"You do realize we still have like an hour before the exam even begins, right?" she asked her teammates, yawning slightly. "If we arrive too early, it will only cause more tension... something we should avoid, considering nearly every foreigner we came across this, passing week was out to get us for some reason..."

"We trained hard with Teigo-sensei" the young Uchiha noted with a shrug, keeping hands in his pockets as he proceeded with a steady pace. "We should manage. Besides, other rookies should be there as well, so I doubt anyone will try something funny at this point."

"Since when have you become the brains of the group?" Toramaru raised an eyebrow, giving his friend a surprised look as the continued on their way. It was early morning so the street of Konoha were still rather empty as the sun just climbed above the horizon. The chilly, early breeze didn't help goosebumps that covered the white-eyed teen's skin, mostly there due to excitement.

After the next, fifteen minutes of march, delayed greatly by Buryaku, the threesome reached their destination, all of them instantly freezing at the sight that hit their eyes. Naraku widen his pupils, while Toramaru's jaw dropped to the ground... even the kunoichi allowed a quiet swallow of saliva as the crowd of people obscured their view entirely.

"Wha... what the heck?" the young Uchiha finally managed to speak up, his mouth remaining opened. "Are all those guys here to take the exam? There must by like a thousand gennin here!" he began panicking, but a familiar voice quickly made him turn left as a trio of leaf-nin walked towards them:

"Exactly 216" Akumo corrected his former classmate, adjusting his glasses as he, Akemi and Akai greeted the bunch, the green-haired girl bowing respectfully, while the redhead giving out a friendly wave. "Seventy two teams to be precious, divided between nine villages in total."

"Well, someone did his homework" Gaki's mocking voice joined the gathering as Lee Rock's students also joined Konoha's youth.

"Not really" Akai assured him with a cheerful smile. "Akemi was just so nervous over the whole thing, that she made us come here in the middle of the night. Out of pure boredom we started counting people who arrived and villages they were from..."

"Which would inquire you saw us arrive and yet didn't came to welcome your comrades?" Gai asked, almost insulted. "This is quite saddening..."

"Let that go already!" Hinako snapped as her eyes became pupiless, while her teeth turned into fangs: "You weren't too eager to say 'hi' to Garou-kun and the others either!" she pointed out, while the taijutsu expert shrunk on the spot:

"But... Gouka-san was with them and..." he began defending himself, while Naraku giggled under his breath: "_Yeah, I guess neesan has that effect on people_" he thought to himself. Ironically though, Toramaru took note of a very different fact:

"_Did she just referred to Garou as... kun?_" he wonder if he hadn't heard wrong.

"Wow, you dudes are really loud" another voice proclaimed, this time coming from behind them, Buryaku lazily looked over her shoulder, not very interested in the new arrivals – the voice aside, she would recognize that manner of speaking instantly and, sure enough, there was Shimiru, pointing at the group, with Hitomi and Jun right beside him. "But even more importantly: so many rookies will be taking the exam? That is so wicked!"

"You're the one being loud right now" the masked gennin stated, a single drop of sweat running down his face at his companion's behavior. To his great dismal, the comment only seemed to fuel the skateboarder even further: "I'm just excited, Jun-chan! We already know Gitou and others will be here and just now we heard Garou and his team are wondering around the area! That means all rookies will be entering the exam! That is so fresh!"

"Right you are, my youthful comrade!" Gai joined the blond, pointing his finger to the sky, while in the background Hinako only managed to covered her face in embarrassment, her head shaking at the scene. "Driven by our blooming hearts, we shall walk towards the unknown, to face the challenges of this world!" he spoke, which was soon followed by the duo going into a happy dance as they locked themselves in La-la-land.

"Well, those two are in an awfully good mood" Toramaru noted with his arms hanging as watched the spectacle. This was kinda like a romantic comedy – you don't wanna watch, but you just can't help it.

"Yeah, well, I can't imagine anything bringing those idiots down" Hitomi announced annoyed with her arms crossed, her face twisted in disapproval. She quickly regained her cold exterior though, shifting her attention to the blond: "But it doesn't matter... I don't know about Gai, but Shimiru certainly grew stronger over the year... it's not like he has much to fear in the upcoming event..."

"That may not be so, Hitomi-san" Akumo disagreed politely, once more fixing his glasses. "By my estimate there are at least twenty teams you should pay heed to and that is by the air they emit alone. I assume twice as many can be really dangerous for their opponents."

"Sounds to me like you guys are just wimps that came unprepared" Gaki mocked, as usual, while a smirk crept onto his face. "Say what you will, but I have no doubt that Gai would wipe the floor with that pierced dumbass of yours" the next line was directed towards the white-eyed girl, yet the young Hyuuga only narrowed her eyes slightly at the comment.

"Now, now" Akemi stepped between the two, rising her hands in a calming manner: "We're not here to fight each other... well, technically, we are, but not necessary right now" he added with an uncomfortable smile as the duo kept eying each other.

"Why not?" Gaki asked, widening his smirk. "If eventually we're gonna end up as enemies, might as well settle things now and get it over with..."

"Well, at the very least, I can see you haven't changed much" a newcomer stated, making both Naraku and Toramaru smile at the appearance: "Still as big of a jerk as ever..."

"Garou!" the white-eyed boy high-fived the dog teen as Hanomaru barked happily at the sight of the gathering. As usual, Kumo gave no more then an acknowledging nod towards everybody, while Gouka frowned under her nose; an equivalent of 'hi' in her language.

"So, you guys really are taking the exam as well" Naraku stated, at which the dog ninja gave him a wide grin: "Of course; can't afford for you wimps to leave us behind" he teased, which to Buryaku's surprise, wasn't followed by her blond teammate's claim that they'll wipe the floor with them, knock them back to Kiri or anything of that sort.

"Wimps, huh?" Toramaru smirked at the statement. "Guess we'll see about that..."

"Doubtful" Gouka announced instantly, her arms crossed, while her head was slightly lowered. "Just getting recommended for the exam doesn't mean much... best proof of that is that Naraku's here... and those guys" with that, she tilted her head forward, pointing at Shunrai, Choumaru and Gitou, who were slowly walking towards the gathering.

"Looks like we have a complete!" Gai yelled excitedly at the new arrivals, which made the blue-haired girl take a step back, intimidated. Her sick teammate noticed that immediately and whispered, loud enough only for her to hear: "I'd imagine you _cough_ knew Gai-san by now to not let his _cough_ behavior have any effect. We all _cough_ trained hard for this. Don't back down so easily" he encouraged her, shifting his eyes to other rookies: "Yo!"

"It's getting quite crowded" Gaki noticed, sending the chubby gennin a displeased gaze. "Seriously, don't they make some sort of selection to force the weaklings to stay out?"

"You wanna see how weak I am?" Choumaru shoot back, visibly annoyed.

"_What is wrong with all, these people?_" Buryaku wondered, letting out a sigh. "_Can't we go a day without a fight anymore? How troublesome_" she added as Akemi attempted to defuse the tension, with only mild success.

"That's quite a lively group right there, eh Nekkei-san?" the Grass kunoichi in a yellow kimono asked cheerfully, elbowing her teammate slightly, but the boy merely gave her a weak gaze, not very interested in the Leaf gathering. Kouba on the other hand proven to be quite intrigued by the rookies, in particular a green-haired girl that was now, with the assist of a blue-haired one, holding some chubby boy's arms as the latter attempted to ram head-first into a muscular-looking teen.

"Aren't they those weaklings from the other day?" Kitou asked with a stoic face as her two comrades also shifted their attention towards the commotion. Sayoku quickly lost interest though as he returned to feeding his hawk, while the third member of the squad gave a slight nod: "Seems that way... but then, I don't bother with faces of unimportant people..."

"Seems our message didn't stick" Erikku frowned at the noise, while his teammates paid little heed to his words, Orafu being entirely occupied with devouring his chicken leg, while Balegu continued to polish his robotic arm.

"I cannot believe that Leaf guy is still acting though" Moroha announced, crossing her arms at the sight of Gaki provoking his fellow, Konoha gennin. Kousotsu remained still at the statement, but Toukai did show a bit of interest as his eyes settled on both the bully and his bowl-cut companion: "_They may not know how to behave, but having them here could prove fun_" he thought to himself with a smirk.

"Why does rookies feel the need to be so loud?" the kimono-wearing, Ame kunoichi complained, her face showing dismal. "This is really annoying! When is this, stinking exam gonna start?" she asked, getting little reaction from her teammates.

Her wish was granted quickly however as a moment later a large puff of smoke erupted on top of the bunker located near the wall on the north side of the field. As soon as the cloud cleared, the gathered gennin noticed a man with long, black hair and completely white eyes standing before them, his attire consisting on a gray top with wide sleeves.

Aitou let out a grunt at the sight, making Fukaru give him a worried look, yet the blond boy decided to say nothing. Meanwhile Garou, although taken by surprise to see another Byakugan, was more interested in the figure standing beside the Hyuuga – an eighteen year old girl with long, black hair, tied with a red ribbon: "Isn't that Hinako-chan's sister?" he asked, turning to look at Naraku, who merely shrugged. "Oh, come on, you can't recall a babe?"

"Note that Naraku never actually saw her" Toramaru reminded the dog ninja, sweat dropping at the perverted side of his friend coming to surface yet again. Besides, the blond was much more interested in his uncle being there... similarly to Shimiru, who elbowed his teammate lightly at the sight: "So, think we're gonna get preferential treatment with your dad being the proctor and all?" he asked, flipping his eyebrow widly.

"Wouldn't count on it" Hitomi replied simply without taking her eyes off her parent.

"Settle down everyone!" Neji said in an ordering tone, making all the gennin comply instantly. Once silence spread through the field, the jounin spoke again, carefully observing the gathering: "My name is Hyuuga Neji and I was chosen as the examiner for the first test of this year's Chuunin Selection Exam. To avoid wasting time, I'll get right to the rules of the exam. Listen carefully!" he proclaimed as the girl jumped down from the bunker, picking out a small box.

"Before the test can officially start, I need each squad to select a representative who'll walk over to Emisu here" at this he pointed to the teenager girl. "And draw a lot with a number. That will be the number of your team for the duration of this exam!"

Immediately Garou dashed forward with his tongue out, only to choke as Gouka grabbed his collar annoyed and pushed him to the ground, stepping forward herself, taking the position of the team leader. Without delay Gaki and Hitomi followed her example, while Shunrai and Choumaru gazed at Gitou hopefully, making the boy let out a sigh before coughing and move towards the older Nekko as well.

Apparently, neither Akemi nor Akai were too eager to stand out, so Akumo took the role of captain for their team, while Toramaru was urged by Buryaku to fill the spot in their cell. As the young gennin walked forward, the white-eyed boy gazed to his left, noticing a familiar, sand-nin with a gourd giving him a blank look.

"What?" the blond demanded, narrowing his eyes, but Shikyo gave no answer, in stead reaching into the box held by Emisu. Within few minutes, all the teams got their number, with a certain, cloud-nin being overly enthusiastic over his pick:

"Check it out, guys!" Fukaru yelled, racing to his teammates. "We got number 1!"

"Now that everyone got their number, I'll explain the details of the test" Neji announced, making the attention shift back to him. "The first exam is basically a team battle; each squad will be pitted against another for the right to proceed forward. Those that will prove worthy, will be able to advance to the second test. The numbers you just drafted decide your opponents – the first match will take place between teams 1 and 2... the second will host teams 3 and 4 and so on..." he began slowly, making sure all gennin heard him.

"_Basically, if you're unlucky to get a strong opponent here, you're out of the game at the very start_" Madoka rubbed her chin thoughtfully as the rules sinked in.

"There are 72 teams in total, which will make up exactly 36 matches" the proctor went on, ignoring displeased comments from some of the participants. "The fights will take place within the bunker I'm standing on. Those who'll earn the right to proceed, will be given instructions after their battle is over. Note that only the two, participating teams are allowed to enter the bunker. Failing to comply will get you immediately disqualified."

"_I see_" the female teammate of Shikyo and Kobura nodded to herself worried. "_That way, there's no telling what sort of techniques those that advance use... even if you win, you still know nothing of your opponents, aside that they're strong enough to emerge victorious from their bout..._"

"When the buzzer rings in the field, it means the match is over and the next pair of teams are to enter the bunker" Neji announced calmly with a stoic face. "The test is finished only after the match of the last, two teams is resolved. I suggest that whether you fight now or last, you use that time wisely..."

"That doesn't seem very fair" Fuugo noted, making the white-eyed jounin shift his gaze at him. "If the second tests starts immediately after this, then teams fighting last can be exhausted after their fight and thus perform worse then they normally would. This gives those that fight early more edge in the upcoming exam..."

"This selection is also part of the exam" Neji assured him, not surprised to hear such an objection. "Aside from team battle, this also tests your tactics and attention to details; you don't know what the next challenge will be, thus you must take heed in any sort of info that may come in handy. Note that most teams have already hidden their number, making it impossible to tell who they fight, until they actually walk into the bunker..."

"_Right_" Monuke thought to himself, quickly scanning the area. "_If you remember the order the teams walk into the bunker, you can easily determine which of them should be the most tired after their fight... by remembering who they fought and how they are after the match, you may still learn something about their strength or abilities... also, those that fight early will know squat about the match-up of later participants; they'll only know the victor... in actuality, they'll have the less info that could prove useful later on... dependable on how you play, you can turn either number into an advantage..._"

"Now, I'd like teams 1 and 2 to follow us into the bunker" the examiner announced calmly, jumping down. "The rest of you wait for the buzzer to let the next, two teams enter" he finished with Emisu walking bellow ground. Fukaru, Juryoku and Aitou stepped forward as well, while a team from Suna joined the trio, indicating they'll be their enemies.

"_I know those guys_" the sand-nin with a headgear, Fuugo's teammate, realized, quickly looking the Suna team up and down; the cell was made of a muscular giant, twice the human size, with a metal plate covering his mouth, while shirtless top allowed everyone to marvel his build. "_It's Kobu and his 'happy helpers'... wasn't he the second best student of our year, after Hakachi?_"

The other, two gennin consisted of a tall but skinny boy, carrying eight, wooden umbrellas on his back horizontally and a girl in a white robe, which also hid most of her mouth. At their sight, the headgear wearing rain-nin tipped his hat over his eyes in annoyance: "_Is that tall whimp mocking Ame?_" he wondered.

"So, from the start, only half the teams will make it through?" Shunrai asked a bit worried as she shrunk in her spot. Seeing his friend losing her confidence, Toramaru acted immediately, wrapping his arm around her, making the girl blush and, unintentionally, making the situation worse: "Don't worry over it! I'm sure that any opponent you'll land against you guys can handle... as long as we're not it" he teased with a smile.

His eyes quickly widen though as a loud buzz was heard, while the doors leading to the bunker opened. Naraku allowed a single drop of sweat to run down his face at the realization: "Don't tell me... the first match is over already" he begged as the next pair of teams headed for the entrance. "Who... who won?"

"There's no way to tell until you actually clear this test" Jun responded with a shrug, but then glanced at Hitomi: "For most of us anyway..." he added. Chatter began anew between the rookies, broken once the fourth match was finished, inviting Akai, Akemi and Akumo to step into the bunker with a buzz. Time flew and soon half of the squads were already gone from the field, annoying Toramaru to no end.

"This isn't fair!" he finally snapped. "Why the hell did I draw such a high number? I'll die of boredom before our turn comes!" he proclaimed over dramatically, making Shunrai giggle. His rant was cut short though as a familiar team joined the Leaf rookies, now consisting of just two cells.

"Should've used your Byakugan to get a lower one then" stated a boy with fringe, who the blond assumed was a teammate of the recently met duo, who too walked towards them.

"That would be cheating" the son of the Hokage replied sternly, eying the teen.

"Not really" the older gennin countered with a shrug. "Note that the proctor said nothing about ninjutsu not being allowed; all you had to do was draw a number – rules how you should do that were never specified, implying anything was allowed... I assume that's even more true with the idea of such selection being part of the exam as well..."

"And you are?" Buryaku asked, with a slightly bored tone, as she looked at the teen in a sleepy manner. In a flash Monuke stepped forward with an apologizing smile, resting his palms on the boy's shoulders: "Sorry, my bad... this is Shimura Kouhai, the teammate of myself and Madoka that I mentioned at our, last meeting. Kouhai, these are Nara Buryaku, Uchiha Naraku and Uzumaki Toramaru" the pale teen made the introductions, only then shifting to the other squad: "And I'm pretty sure we didn't had the pleasure of getting acquainted..."

"Shunrai, Akimichi Choumaru and Hisakata _cough_ Gitou" the sick gennin fixed the problem quickly with an expression that said he was about to fall face-first into the ground. "We're actually classmates of _cough_ Buryaku and others from the Academy..."

"Nice to meet you then" Monuke bowed towards the boy, while Madoka winked flirtatiously. "I fear this may be a brief meeting; I noticed we're left with mostly strong teams, which may cause us problems to proceed to the next exam" he stated with a laugh, scratching the back of his head.

"And yet you're surprisingly upbeat over that" Naraku noted, dropping his arms.

"There's nothing I can do to change that, so there's no point in worrying over it anyway" the pale-skinned boy explained simply. "Although I sure would hate to actually land against those guys" at this he pointed to his right, making the rookie leaf-nins gaze in that direction, spotting a team of sand-nins, led by an all-too-familiar boy with a gourd.

"No point in worrying over them" Toramaru responded, making sure the Suna gennin heard him. "Those three are wimps" he proclaimed, making Shikyo narrowed his eyes, while Kobura frowned. Perhaps he'd jump the white-eyed boy, but the buzzer sounded again, forcing him to follow his squad into the bunker for their battle.

"So, what number do you have?" Monuke asked, breaking the silence, while the blond picked out a small sheet of paper with '61' written on it. To that the teen smirked playfully, confusing his younger comrade: "That was close then, since we got 63..."

"Monuke-kun, you should give out information to the enemy" Madoka joked with a smile, making both Toramaru and Naraku blush, which in turn made Buryaku roll her eyes. Eventually the buzzer rang again and their turn came.

The trio headed for the bunker, glancing to their right, where their opponents marched. The squad was one neither of them saw before, each of its members sporting a hitae-ate with a symbol of three, horizontal, wavy lines decorating it, which only the lazy girl recognized: "_Swamp-nins_" she concluded, looking the three up and down.

The one out front was a girl with medium-length, red hair, clipped in a spiky ponytail up and hazel eyes. Her attire was made of a brown robe that was hung on her left shoulder, leaving much of her right side uncovered and dark blue pants. A pair of golden bracelets on her wrist and a headband around the neck finished up the look, but the most eye-catching feature was a long, wooden pipe attached to her back, almost as long as the female herself.

The one walking behind her was a boy around seventeen years of age, like his comrades. From what Buryaku could tell, he was the most disturbing of the trio, having spiky, brown hair that stick out in all directions, despite bandages wrapped around the upper part of his face. The bandages basically covered his right eye, but were ripped above the left, allowing the kunoichi to note his pupils were strangely black... the weirdness wasn't as much attributed to the color, but more to the fact the left eye contained two such pupils within, out of which one was in the center, while the other kept moving around. The teen had a twisted smile on his face, showing his teeth were actually fangs, while his clothes were made of worn-out, brown, sleeveless top and baggy, gray pants. There were no weapon hostels on him, but his fingernails resembled claws more then the ones humans had. Finally, his hitae-ate, was tied around his right arm.

The last of the group was slightly older then the other two and had black skin, darkest Buryaku saw up til now. This in itself wasn't as strange as the face the boy had his face pained white, making the tattoo resemble a skull. His medium-length, black hair were made into dreads, while white eyes seemed empty, but not the Hyuuga-type. His dark-blue robes were slightly loose, leaving arms uncovered, while in stead of typical, shinobi sandals, the swamp-nin had strange shoes with the tips bended back. A thing of note was also a pair of small drums tied to his front, three, triangular earrings in his left ear, a round one in his right eyebrow and a bone piercing his nose horizontally. His forehead protector was tied to the belt holding the drums.

As the two teams neared the entrance, the middle swamp-nin froze and shifted his double-pupil eye towards Toramaru, instantly creeping the blond out. With a sniff of his nose, the mysterious, bandaged boy widen his smile as a growl escaped his throat, a drop of saliva running down his chin.

"_What the hell is this guy?_" Naraku wondered as his body got taken over by an involuntary shiver. Never the less, he continued onwards and the moment he entered the bunker, doors shut, trapping them all in darkness...

_**-the exams begin!-**_

Yeah, I know, the exam didn't practically start yet, but this was a quick intro to what awaits. Rest assured this, first exam ain't the only change prepared for the event. So, think Toramaru and his friends will proceed beyond this, first test? Well, you'll need to read to find that out!

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (the redhead girl with a black cat, Kuroki), Gaki Nayamasu (the muscular boy), Gai Rock (the boy with a bowl-like haircut)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (the girl with a crush on Toramaru), Choumaru Akimichi (the chubby boy), Gitou Hisakata (the coughing boy)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Konoha (?):**_ Madoka Garasu (the girl with gems), Kouhai Shimura (Danzou's cousin), Monuke (the pale-skinned boy)

_**Suna #1 (?):**_ ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_? (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

_**Kumo (?):**_ Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-folded boy)

_**Ame (?):**_ ? (the kimono wearing girl), Shunsai Irezumi (?), ? (the boy with a headgear)

_**Kane (?):**_ Moroha Gengetsu (the girl with a crescent-moon blade), Toukai Kurogane (the violet-haired boy), Kousotsu (the armored boy)

_**Kusa (?):**_ ? (girl in a yellow kimono), Kouba Ibara (the boy in worn-out clothes), Nekkei Utsuru (the sick boy)

_**Taki (?):**_ Kitou (the girl with a praying stick), ? (the boy with a large scroll), Sayoku (the boy with bandaged mouth)

_**Yuki (?):**_ Orafu Futotta (the fat guy with the shield), Erikku Hakabakashi (the redhead), Balegu Seiretsu (the swordsman)

**CHARACTER POPULARITY CONTEST DETAILS:** for those who actually decided to check out (and, hopefully, take part) the announced poll, the rules are generally the same as with NNG – you can vote for ANY character that appeared in the story so far (partly the reason why the poll starts now – no, new characters will be introduced until its closure), which includes characters known from the original manga, although I do ask that if you do wish to vote for Naruto and corps, base your vote on this story alone since, as you may have noticed, some of these characters have been modified a bit.

The voting is also slightly different then ones made in Shounen Jump (the magazine "Naruto" is published in); considering there is quite a few characters (over 80) for you to choose from and realizing it may be hard to limit yourself to just one, you're therefore allowed to give your vote to 5 characters overall. Naturally, you don't need to use all the slots – if you wish to vote for just one character, you can; if it's three – you're allowed to cast a vote that way as well. It's up to you.

There is an extra trick to that – in order to avoid too many shared slots (lets face it - "Those..." don't have as big circulation as Shounen Jump, so I don't expect that many votes... although the first, two NNG polls actually had quite a bit of voters :)), I'd like you to place your votes in the form of a list from 1 to 5. The number under which you place a character will decide the number of 'voting points' that character will get; the one you placed first will get '5', the second one will get '4', third – '3' etc. These, 'small points' will determine which character takes precedence should the number of votes for them both be the same. For example:

Voter #1:

1. Toramaru Uzumaki

2. Kinuta Teigo

3. that girl with gems from Monuke's team

4. Naraku Uchiha

5. Toukai

Voter #2:

1. Naraku Uchiha

2. Gai Rock

3. Toramaru Uzumaki

4. Hanomaru

Now, in the example above Voter #1 mixed Teigo's first and last name (which isn't important; as long as the description is decisive, I should be able to determine who you mean even without giving a name), forgot Toukai's clanname and didn't use Madoka's name at all, while Voter #2 even gave his vote for Hanomaru, Garou's canine companion, which is also allowed. Furthermore, the second voter also didn't use his fifth slot, which still makes the vote valid. The most important thing however is that they both voted for Toramaru and Naraku.

Normally, this constitutes they both get two votes and, as such, are tied for first place in the poll. However, taking "voting points" into the account, Toramaru got 8 (5 + 3), while Naraku received 7 (2 + 5), which means in the final standings Toramaru would be listed higher then the young Uchiha.

Another thing is that to keep it fair and "public", only votes in reviews will be counted; to that end anyone who'll send a vote via PM must be ready that the vote won't be counted. ANYONE can vote, even if you hadn't review up til now, but only one vote is allowed per used. Also note that in order to allow everyone who wish to take part in the voting, I extend the time in which the votes should be cast – the result of the poll will be given in chapter 25, so as long as you'll cast your vote before the chapter is published, you can rest assured your input will be counted in the final standings.

With that written, the last order of business is to give you the full character list, so that you know who to cast your votes on (if you forgotten a character's name or a feature that distinguish him/her). Hope the lists will help you choose your favorites... but please notet hat characters such as Shino, Gaara or even Kankuro are not listed, as they haven't appeared in the story yet:

**Konoha:**

Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki, Teigo Kinuta;

Gaki Nayamasu, Hinako Nekko, Gai Rock, Lee Rock, Kuroki (Hinako's black cat);

Choumaru Akimichi, Gitou Hisakata, Shunrai, Shikamaru Nara;

Kumo Aburame, Garou Inuzuka, Gouka Uchiha, Hinata Uzumaki, Hanomaru (Garou's dog);

Shimiru Abunage, Jun Hatake, Hitomi Hyuuga, Hasaki Kinzoku (jounin with two katana);

Akai Kagami, Akumo Megane, Akemi Nekata, Hiyoko Shinku (the jounin with a feather in the necklace);

Madoka Garasu (the girl with gems), Kouhai Shimura (the boy with a fringe), Monuke (the pale teen);

Naruto Uzumaki, Iruka Uzumaki (a chuunin, Toramaru's older brother), Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, Neji Hyuuga, Tenten Rock, Ibuki Rock (Gai's younger sister), Ino Akimichi, Chouji Akimichi, Emisu Nekko (Hinako's older sister), Temari Nara (former sand-nin, Buryaku's mother), Kumiko (Academy instructor), Iruka Umino, Root agent (the man who spoke with Kouhai in chapter #19);

**Suna:**

Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd), Kobura (the boy in black), Tetsu (their female companion);

Sabaku no Hakachi (the girl with the gourd); Bunraku (the boy with headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak);

Hire (the masked girl in a robe), Kobu (the muscular boy), Sabe (skinny boy with umbrellas);

**Kumo:**

Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-folded boy);

**Ame:**

Muchi Fukazeru (the kimono-wearing girl), Shunsai Irezumi (?), Henpuku Kiganai (boy with a headgear);

**Kane:**

Moroha Gengetsu (the girl with a crescent-moon blade), Toukai Kurogane (the violet-haired boy), Kousotsu (the armored boy);

**Kusa:**

Kouba Ibara (the boy in worn-out clothes), Hana Makiba (girl in a yellow kimono), Nekkei Utsuru (the sick boy), Kusa jounin (instructor to the other three);

**Taki:**

Kitou (girl with a praying stick), Noroi (the boy with a scroll), Sayoku (the boy with a hawk), Takamu (Sayoku's hawk);

**Yuki:**

Orafu Futotta (the chubby one with the shield), Erikku Hakabakashi (the redhead), Balegu Seiretsu (the swordsman);

**Sawa:**

Kawaridane (the boy with double pupil in his left eye), Shuri (the girl with a pipe), Taiko (the black-skinned gennin with drums);

**Iwa:**

Ganjou Ishino (the stone-nin met by Toramaru and his team on a mission);

**Oto:**

Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi, Hebiru Otoku (a spy, posed as Academy instructor), Hakkotsu Kaguya (Kimimaro's clone), Yobiko Chitagana (the wielder of the huge choppers), Himei Abumi (the boy with holes in his hands), the mysterious boy with purple hair;

**Other:**

Aiko (the sales girl from Stone Country);

This concludes and list and this chapter as well :0 If you have any questions concerning the poll, feel free to ask, I'll be glad to explain it further. And this that – until next time!


	21. The First Exam

Yes, I finally managed to finish this up :) Sorry it took me so long, but the last, few months of 2012 has been quite crazy for me... Hopefully, once 2013 begins, my free time won't be as limited.

I'd also wish to apologize, as this is the FIRST time I haven't answered any reviews given since the last update. It is my shame, but I really cannot do more then say that I'm truly sorry and hope that won't happen again. To those that decided to cast their votes in the Character Popularity Poll I'd also wish to thank and assure them that their votes has been counted for (making 3 characters tie for the top spot as of the publish on this chapter). And, on that note, I'd also like to remind everyone that **THE FIRST CHARACTER POPULARITY POLL** is still open (with the rules given in the previous chapter), so if you wish to cast your votes on your favorite characters in "Those...", feel free to put the list in your review.

With that said, let us move on to the newest installment of "Those..." as part of the Special Season Update:

**Charter #21: The First Exam**

Toramaru, Buryaku and Naraku walked down the stairs into a spacious room with a few bulbs dangling from the ceiling and a square-shaped platform, elevated in the middle. Emisu waved them through to walk up the stairs as they reached the top of the ring, located just a couple of meters above the floor. Neji was already awaiting them in the middle.

"Welcome" the jounin nodded towards the six, keeping his arms crossed. "Before the match, I'd like to point out few details that may prove useful to you guys; first – this is a team battle, simulating real-life situation. To that end you are allowed to use any technique or weapon you find necessary to achieve your goal" he announced, making sure everyone understood. "Secondly – you are declared victor if you'll manage to knock out all members of the opposing team, throw them off the ring or force the ones standing to surrender. Naturally, if the combatant dies, that means he or she is out of the match as well..."

"_Oh yeah, good thing we cleared that up_" Buryaku rolled her eyes at the statement, while Neji went on: "We wish to avoid unnecessary deaths, so in order to prevent that, I'll step in whenever situation is resolved, but even I can be late to do so, thus I advice you surrender whenever you determine the result is obvious. Lastly – it matters not on what grounds you leave the ring; if your foot touched the bunker floor, you are out of the match til the end of its duration. Are these rules clear?" he asked, receiving four nods from the gennin.

The double-pupil swamp-nin didn't bother to acknowledge the question and, in stead, gave out a maniacal laugh as he licked his lips, turning towards the three, creep-out Leaves. With a sigh, the jounin shook his head: "_There's always a few brats that will obviously mean trouble..._"

"I have a question, Hyuuga-san" Buryaku proclaimed, rising her hand and as Neji gazed at her, the kunoichi went on, taking that as permission: "Since the result is determined by last man standing, does that mean those that will get knocked out are disqualified from the whole exam, even if their squad emerges victorious from this battle?"

"_Shikamaru's offspring, no doubt_" the white-eyed man smirked under his nose as he answered the question: "Whether you'll be allowed into the next exam or not is decided purely on your results as a team in this test. That's all you need to know..."

"That's a relief then" the black-skinned swamp-nin stated in a deep monotone.

"If there are no, other questions, then let, then I want each of the squads to take opposite corners of the ring and we can begin" the proctor announced, making the gennin separate. Once they took their positions, Neji gave each team last, final glance, before he dropped his arm down: "BEGIN!"

In a flash the two swamp-nins jumped off the ring, landing next to Emisu, who gave the duo a quizzical look: "What are you doing? You were told there's no going back onto the platform, once you're out..."

"We already saw that Kawaridane was excited over this" the kunoichi with the pipe replied playfully, smirking widely under her nose. "If we were to stay on the ring, there's no guarantee of our safety" she added with a wink, making the young Nekko narrow her eyes.

Meanwhile the last, remaining swamp-nin, Kawaridane, let out another, mad laugh, ended with a few, deep breaths, almost as if he tried to calm himself down. In a blink of an eye he dropped to all fours and lunged at the three Leaves with the speed they could barely follow.

Toramaru was first to react and activating his Byakugan, he slid forward, filling his hands with chakra. Without coming to a stop, he hit the Sawa gennin's right wrist, throwing it off course, while he thrust his other hand out front, smashing it right into Kawaridane's chest, blasting the opponent back.

Gazing at the swamp-nin with his vein-engulfed eyes, he saw the disturbing shinobi flip in mid-air and land safely on all fours, the attack he just took having no, visible effect. With a pleased growl, the Sawa gennin resumed his assault, beating the distance between himself and the blond in a matter of moments, swinging his right arm straight at Toramaru's head.

The son of Hokage bended back, barely dodging the attack, and pushed his right hand forward, hitting his adversary's elbow as it zoomed before his eyes. Kawaridane let out a noise that could only be described as a hiss of delight, even as his lower arm twisted in unnatural manner.

Spinning on his foot, the swamp-nin threw a kick to the blond's stomach, but the white-eyed boy blocked the assault with his left palm and launched his right knee to the Sawa gennin's back, which he was now facing.

The attack connected with a crunching sound, much to Toramaru's horror, but that quickly turned into shock as Kawaridane twisted his neck, making his head turn half a circle, allowing his two pupils to stare at his prey.

"_What the...?_" he only managed to think as his adversary's arm went for his head again from the angle that simply wasn't humanly possible. With no time to block, the blond ducked under the horizontal swing, giving Naraku enough space to join the battle:

"Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!" the young Uchiha called out as his hands finished the chain of seals. Taking a deep breath, he gathered air in his lungs, releasing it the next instant in a form of long, fiery steam, which lashed at Kawaridane, harmlessly blasting above Toramaru's bended form.

The flames smacked the swamp-nin right in the face, pushing him back to the edge of the ring. Before he could fall off though, the Sawa gennin struck his claws into the ground, breaking his fall, along with few bones as a snapping sound echoed through the bunker. Twisting his body back to its rightful place, he moved his limbs freely, much to Buryaku's horror.

"_Unless he's capable of releasing bones from their joints, this shouldn't be possible_" she analyzed as a shiver run down her back. "_But even if that was the case, that knee from Toramaru should've damaged his spine... there's gotta be something else in play here..._"

"_Creepy, little fella_" Emisu concluded in her mind as Kawaridane massaged his burnt cheek gently. To most people surprise, the next moment he sunk his claws into it, ripping the skin off. Naraku's eyes widen as right before them the gaping wound on his opponent's face began closing, while skin regenerated at tremendous speed.

"_There's no way those brats can beat Kawaridane_" the black-skinned swamp-nin thought to himself, his expression rid of emotion. "_After all, he was specifically created to annihilate his enemies... weaklings that are barely gennin won't even manage to make permanent damage, let alone bringing him down..._"

"Buryaku..." Toramaru spoke, taking a few steps back as his adversary once more dropped to all fours, excitement written all over his face. "Now would be a really good time for one of your plans..."

"I..." the kunoichi began, nearly petrified at the sight as her body refused to even reach for her fans. "I..."

Seeing this, Naraku cursed under his nose as he shifted his gaze back to the enemy at hand. In a flash Kawaridane strafed left, appearing behind him faster then an eye can blink. More sensing then knowing, the young Uchiha leaned right, dodging a straight thrust from behind, yet the Sawa gennin's claws still managed to rip his side, inviting pain into his body.

Clenching his teeth, the rookie ninja spun around, picking a kunai from his hostel in the process. Without looking, he stabbed back, driving the knife into Kawaridane's chest. To no effect as his opponent merely purred before swinging his other hand, delivering a blow into Naraku's mid-section.

Sliding on the floor, the leaf-nin flipped and smirking, he performed another set of seals, placing something into his mouth: "_Lets see if you're as tough on the inside_" he thought as air gathered in his lungs once more, releasing a steam of fire, which traveled directly towards the kunai in Sawa shinobi's chest: "Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!"

"_He tied a string to the knife in order to make a link_" Neji quickly analyzed as the flames went through the kunai, hitting the wound. "_Quite clever_" he concluded as Kawaridane snarled at the pain, ripping the blade out. He didn't had time to recover though as Toramaru was already before him in a stance that was too familiar for the proctor.

"Jyuken po Hakke! Rokujuyonsho!" the blond called out as his hands bolted forward, closing two of the swamp-nin's tenketsu points. "Nisho!" he yelled as his arms backed, only to strike again, stronger and faster: "Yonsho!" he announced, his movement too quick for the swamp-nin to react: "Hassho! Jurokusho! Sanjunisho! Rokujuyonsho!" he finished as his opponent fell backwards, his body burning.

But just as it limply hit the floor, Kawaridane's body sprung back to life, allowing him to push himself up in a instant, his face twisted in a smile that could creep anyone out. Without delay the two leaf-nins flipped back as the Sawa gennin swung his arms at them. The instant they stopped however, the swamp-nin thrust his arm forward, making it shoot straight at the shocked duo.

"_Without any hand seals?_" Naraku's eyes widen as the claws closed in, his opponent's arm extending to inhuman length with the only thing keeping it attached to its owner's body seemed to be thin strings of muscle.

The attack hit the young Uchiha right in the chest, blowing the air out of his lungs as he collapsed to his knees. The claws sunk into the torso, digging through the skin as the pain struck him with full force. Kawaridane pulled his arm back roughly, making the yank pull out the blood, furthering the damage as it also forced a yell of pain from the Leaf gennin.

Toramaru gazed at his friend, surprised and worried, while his adversary's arm retracted, allowing the swamp-nin to charge forward on all fours, like a wild animal. The sight made Buryaku shiver as she observed the whole scene, cold sweat dripping down every inch of her body: "_That guy... is not human!_"

Jumping up as he reached his target, Kawaridane prepared his right arm to drop upon the wounded leaf-nin, but before the attack connected, Toramaru appeared in his way, slamming both his opened palms into the Sawa gennin's chest. As chakra surged through his hands, the blond put them into a spin, creating a drill, which blasted his adversary back, ripping the robe.

Hitting the floor with a 'thud', the swamp-nin instantly recovered, sending the white-eyed boy a death glare while a small stream of blood dripped from his mouth. With fury in his gaze, Kawaridane resumed his assault, in a flash appearing before the rookie gennin as he aimed an uppercut into Toramaru's gut.

The son of Hokage took a step back, barely dodging the attack, and countered, bringing his arms together from the sides. The impact, strengthened with chakra in his palms, twisted the hand his opponent used a moment earlier, seemingly breaking it in two spots with a loud 'crack'.

But, as the blond retreated his hands to present the swamp-nin with a follow-up, the Sawa gennin simply flapped his arm, making all bones return to their rightful place like he didn't take the hit at all. Toramaru didn't let that faze him as he launched his palm to Kawaridane's chin, pushing the latter's head back, creating an opening.

Spinning on his foot, the Leaf rookie threw his other arm back, slamming it into his adversary's chest and completing the circle, he thrust the other one under the throat, making the swamp-nin let out a choking sound as his body slid back.

As before, the combo proven ineffective with Kawaridane grabbing the blond's arm, stopping his own retreat. While the grip tightened, the white-eyed boy's face twisted in pain, allowing the Sawa gennin to aim his free hand into his opponent's left leg, piercing it with his claws.

Delighted with the success, Kawaridane jumped up, still holding tight to his adversary's arm and leg, and threw a double kick straight to Toramaru's chest. His eyebrows raised slightly as he felt his feet stop, despite not delivering the blow. As he took a closer look, he noticed that the leaf-nin's body got surrounded by a thin layer of chakra, while the boy himself send him a furious glare:

"Hakke Shou Kaiten!" the blond yelled as he started spinning, extending the sphere. In a flash the energy blasted the Sawa gennin back, burning his muscles as he hit the floor, leaving his opponent panting. By then Naraku managed to pull himself up and was already finishing another set of seals: "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

Flames erupted from his mouth, instantly engulfing Kawaridane in the inferno that swept across the ring. The smell of a burning flesh made Neji twist his face in dismal as he now stood on the edge of the platform: "_Almost hit me with that one_" he noted, sending the young Uchiha a gaze. "_Those two make a pretty good team... hope that swamp-nin survived; I should've acted sooner_" he scolded himself, turning his Byakugan towards the smoke.

His eyes widen as a figure emerged from the ashes, its skin completely burned, in some spots to the bone. Only by the humanoid shape could one tell this must've been Kawaridane. But everyone took a step back as the burns began disappearing, skin spreading over the charred tissue. In a matter of second the swamp-nin returned to his twisted exterior, the only, visible difference being his destroyed robes.

"_It doesn't matter how many times I see it_" the Sawa kunoichi thought to herself as her body shook slightly. "_It always creeps me out when he does that... a constant reminder he's not human..._"

"_Surviving something like that is a feat in itself_" Emisu analyzed, a single drop of sweat appearing on her face. "_But there's virtually no trace of any sort of damage! I've never heard of something like this before! Is that even possible?_"

The swamp-nin cracked his neck as his eyes set on the two leaf-nins, who went into their fighting stance. Narrowing his eyes, his mind recalled a memory from years ago, as a deep, cold voice echoed in his head: "_A wonderful specimen indeed... he really managed to live through all the procedures... we should take advantage of that... prepare the surgery for tomorrow; maybe we'll be able to get even more of him? What do you say... Kawaridane?_" he man asked, making the gennin clench his fangs, despite his oppressor being nowhere in sight.

"I will not be butchered for your amusement!" he roared as his claws grew in length, blind fury written all over his face. "I'll sooner murder you and every, other person in this hole!" he proclaimed, shifting his attention to Buryaku, who still have not moved an inch. The blond paled as her limbs refused her every command. Rooted to the spot, to say that the girl was petrified at the sight would've been a tremendous understatement.

"_This is bad_" the Sawa kunoichi noted, fear getting to her as well. "_He's totally lost it!_"

In a blink of an eye Kawaridane lunged at her with saliva escaping his mouth. Madness has completely taken him as his vision became crimson red, his mind yelling one order and one order only: "_Kill!_"

"Shit" Toramaru cursed as he dashed towards the girl. "Buryaku, move!" he called, but to no avail; the kunoichi was frozen with fear. Seeing that there was no chance to reach her in time, the blond gathered chakra in his palm again and thrust it back, releasing the energy. The sudden surge gave him the boost he required, blasting his body forward.

In a fraction of a second he beat the distance, pushing Buryaku out of the way, not to mention out of the ring, as Kawaridane's claws closed in: "_I won't make it with Kaiten_" the white-eyed boy prepared for the blow and sure enough the next thing he knew was his flesh getting ripped by the sharp blade, bringing him to the floor, hard.

"_I gotta do something_" Naraku told himself, racing towards his friend. "_Otherwise that psycho is really gonna kill him!_" the idea gave him new strength as he ignored the pain. Reaching the swamp-nin, he spun on his foot, aiming a kick to the latter's face.

To his surprise, Kawaridane dodged the assault, ducking under, while he cut his leg in the process. The sudden blow made the leg give in, costing the young Uchiha his balance. But his back didn't even manage to hit the floor as his opponent let out another roar and jumped forward, pinning him hard to the platform.

With the rattle of his fangs, the Sawa gennin slashed at his chest, ripping the skin. Ignoring the yell of pain of his pray, he swung again and then once more. The plop of blood filled Buryaku's ears as she backed away from the ring, terrified. Toramaru, however, had other plans.

With a battle cry of his own, he slammed his palm to Kawaridane's back, putting in as much force as he could. Blood blasted from the swamp-nin's mouth, accompanied by another, cracking sound that echoed in the chamber.

The effect was instantaneous as the Sawa gennin placed his hands on the floor and pulled his body up, grabbing the blond's neck with his legs. In a twist he brought the Leaf shinobi to the ground, face first, and jump to his own feet, ready to strike with his arm, piercing right through Toramaru's face.

But just as the attack was about to sink into his head, Kawaridane's wrist got grabbed, stopping the assault immediately. The swamp-nin gave a displeased growl, letting air through the nose, as he gazed to the side, sending Neji a grim glare for spoiling his fun.

"The result of this match has already been decided" the jounin stated sternly, keeping his calm exterior. "Stand down" he ordered, but the Sawa gennin made no indication he was willing to listen. As Emisu prepared herself to step in, a frown escaped the teen's mouth as he yanked his arm free, walking away from the proctor, visibly annoyed and yet, surprisingly calm.

He joined his teammates without a word, the other two merely smirking at the outcome as the black-skinned boy couldn't help but comment: "Like this could've turned out any, other way..."

Instantly Emisu got to the young Uchiha and clasped her hands together, forming a hurried seal. In a blink of an eye green chakra engulfed her palms as she neared them to the gennin's skin, closing the wounds as tremendous speed. Neji walked over to her, a worried expression on his face; there was nothing he could do for the boy, but that was preciously why he asked the council to let the heir of the Nekko assist him; she was one of the top medic in the Leaf, a protege of Sakura herself.

After a few moments, Naraku gasped for air, most of his wounds healed. He lifted himself up, but the instant his arm rested on the floor, pain shoot through it, making him wobble as he grabbed the soaring limbs.

"I've managed to patch you up only" Emisu warned him, doing her best to keep a calm exterior, but even she couldn't hide the fact she was shaken by what happened. "Internal damage was much greater. Luckily, there was no permanent injury, so if you'll take it easy for a day or two, you should recover from most of it..."

"Day or two, huh?" the boy repeated, lowering his head. "_Guess that failing the exam, I should have my time to rest, at the very least_" he thought with dismal, gazing at his teammate.

Toramaru slowly rose back to his feet as well, anger and depression surging through his body as he walked alongside Naraku towards the edge of the ring to join their female friend, holding his bleeding shoulder tightly: "_I cannot believe this; we fail already! And to a single gennin! His teammates didn't do anything! It was three on one and we totally got creamed!_"

The realization struck like lighting as he gazed at his companions; Naraku tightened his fists from disappointment. This was certainly not the way he imagined the exam to proceed. Buryaku on the other hand avoided eye-contact all together. The blond could only imagine how she felt – not only was she incapable of helping, but actually got in the way. There really were no words of comfort that could work for her.

Neji quickly reviewed the two squads as he gathered air to speak, gaining the attention of all six: "Well then... lets proceed with the results of this match..."

_**-failed already?-**_

Didn't saw that coming, did you? :D Yes, Toramaru and his team lost the match, just as they were always meant to. And to all those, who also read my NNG – no, Kawaridane is NOT a redone Takai; the two are quite different, as you'll see in due time... while Takai could be considered stronger, I somehow find Kawaridane much more frightening... and more fun to write actually, coz while I REALLY like Takai, Kawaridane is more human, with more common, human urges, even if you may not see it yet ;)

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (the redhead girl with a black cat, Kuroki), Gaki Nayamasu (the muscular boy), Gai Rock (the boy with a bowl-like haircut)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (the girl with a crush on Toramaru), Choumaru Akimichi (the chubby boy), Gitou Hisakata (the coughing boy)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Konoha (?):**_ Madoka Garasu (the girl with gems), Kouhai Shimura (Danzou's cousin), Monuke (the pale-skinned boy)

_**Suna #1 (?):**_ ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_? (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

_**Kumo (?):**_ Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-folded boy)

_**Ame (?):**_ ? (the kimono wearing girl), Shunsai Irezumi (?), ? (the boy with a headgear)

_**Kane (?):**_ Moroha Gengetsu (the girl with a crescent-moon blade), Toukai Kurogane (the violet-haired boy), Kousotsu (the armored boy)

_**Kusa (?):**_ ? (girl in a yellow kimono), Kouba Ibara (the boy in worn-out clothes), Nekkei Utsuru (the sick boy)

_**Taki (?):**_ Kitou (the girl with a praying stick), ? (the boy with a large scroll), Sayoku (the boy with bandaged mouth)

_**Yuki (?):**_ Orafu Futotta (the fat guy with the shield), Erikku Hakabakashi (the redhead), Balegu Seiretsu (the swordsman)

_**Sawa (?):**_ ? (the girl with the pipe), Kawaridane (the double-pupil teen), ? (the black-skinned teen with drums)

_Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu_ (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Skill)

_Jyuken po Hakke: Rokujuyonsho_ (Gentle Fist Style: Sixty-Four Palms)

_Hakke Shou Kaiten_ (Heavenly Spin)

_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu_ (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Skill)

Hope you enjoyed the chapter and found it worth waiting for. With 2013, I hope to get more free time for more frequent updates, so keep your fingers crossed ;) But, until then, I'd like to wish you all _MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR!_ See you in 2013 ;)


	22. The Next Best Thing to Being There

Yes, I've managed to make this update quick :) Hopefully the next ones will come easy too... granted, this one wasn't as complex a write as the previous... the exams move forward and you get to learn Toramaru, Naraku and Buryaku's fate after their loss against the Sawa team.

As always I wish to thank everyone who sacrificed their time to review and remind everyone who may be interested that **CHARACTER POPULARITY POLL** is still open, so if you wanna cast your vote on your favorite characters, there's still time to do so.

I also realized that, in haste to complete the previous chapter, I missed the title page for it... oops ^^' Not sure how many of you even care about those, but I'll fix that mistake here:

_Title page for chapter #21:_ Gaki is hitting a punching bag, making its inside get blasted from the other side

And with that, lets us move on to the actual chapter itself:

**Chapter #22: The Next Best Thing to Being There**

_**Title Page:**_ Hinako is playing with a ball of yarn, while Kuroki is peacefully sleeping on the top of her head

"Now then..." Neji began, gaining the attention of all the gathered gennin. "About the results of this exam..." but as he said so, Toramaru crossed his arms, a frown escaping his mouth: "Like there's any need for that; I'd say the outcome is quite obvious..."

"Have you not learned it's ill-mannered to interrupt when your elder is speaking?" the white-eyed man asked sternly, gazing at the blond. Toramaru may have been the son of Hokage and a Main Family member to boost, but there was still some protocol. Seeing the boy quiet down, the jounin gave an approving nod as he went on: "Despite his crude way of announcing, Toramaru is correct – victory in the match is claimed by the Sawa squad..."

None of the three swamp-nins gave indication this was any surprise... nor that they cared. Neji, however, didn't stop there, making Buryaku rise her eyebrow at his next words: "And as for the outcome of this exam... I determine both teams have advanced to the second test!"

"Wha?" Naraku gave a dumb-fooled look as his jaw dropped. He quickly exchanged confused glance with the white-eyed gennin, while their female teammate decided to ask the question they were all wondering about, rising her hand to show respect: "I'm sorry, Neji-san, but how is that so? We lost the match..."

"And when have I said that this would decide your fate?"

"At the very beginning" the female Sawa gennin reminded him, slightly displeased with the idea their opponents will get to participate in the second exam after all. "You claimed that getting allowed into next phase is decided by our result as a team."

"Yes, I specifically said that" the proctor nodded with a stoic expression, shifting his eyes towards the kunoichi. "I still don't see how you get from there to the claim that only the victor advances forward. Not once have I, or Emisu-san for that matter, said that you have to win to proceed... nor have we said winning grants you a place in the second exam either..."

"I don't get it" Toramaru announced, completely clueless.

"I figured you might" the jounin stated with a smirk; different he might be, but the blond was still the son of THAT Naruto: "Thus, allow me to explain – this exam was not a test of your fighting skills, though rest assured those will be graded as well..."

"Then what did this exam tested?" the black-skinned swamp-nin asked in a demanding tone.

"Teamwork" Neji responded simply, making most gennin gathered make a shocked face. Seeing this, the proctor smirked as he went on: "The whole point of using a team battle as the first exam was to see how well each of you could work with others; if you recall, before the first combatants went into the bunker, I announced those that will prove worthy shall be granted the right to proceed and that was exactly the case – even if you lost, but shown that you're capable of forming a squad, you passed..."

"Of course, the opposite is true as well" Emisu joined in with a calm exterior: "Win by individuality and you fail anyway..."

"But, if that is the case, why do those guys pass?" Toramaru asked accusingly as he pointed at the Sawa team, who made little of the outburst. To this, the proctor let out a sigh as he explained that as well: "Being part of a squad also means you know your own limitations along with your teammates' strengths and weaknesses... the Hidden Swamp were intelligent enough to determine their single member was all it took to win the match and, judging by what transpired, I'd say they made a good call to stay out of his way... although it's not exactly what I'd had in mind, that is a form of teamwork; believing in your comrades..."

"_Believing in your comrades, huh?_" the blond boy repeated, looking to the side.

"As chuunin, you'll be placed as squad leaders... thus your capability to work well with others is essential to the rank. Being incapable of forming a team is a clear indication one is not suitable for chuunin... now then, you will each receive a scroll from Emisu, detailing the place and time of the second exam" Neji announced as his assistant held out two scrolls towards the gennin. "If either team member will fail to arrive at the spot in time, the team is disqualified, despite the result of this test. I wish you luck in the upcoming challenges" he finished with a warm smile, much to everyone's surprise.

The black-skinned swamp-nin quickly walked towards the ring, moving his palm over its floor, making Neji narrow his eyes at the gesture. Seeing this, the Sawa gennin grabbed a piece of hair and placed it into his pocket as he spoke before getting back to his teammates: "Just a little... souvenir..."

The six gennin slowly headed towards the exit as Emisu went for a button at the wall, which Buryaku assumed activated the buzzer. Before leaving, however, Toramaru turned around and walked to the edge of the ring, bowing his head deeply, making the proctor rise his eyebrow, confused about the gesture.

"Thank you for a valuable lesson, Neji-san" he proclaimed before rushing after his teammates. The white-eyed jounin took that as a good thing; after all, there was no chance for the blond to see a cheerful smirk that appeared on his face...

-A little later, Shinku Sushi Bar-

"The first exam should be coming to an end right about now" Hinata announced, taking another piece from her plate. "How do you think our students are doing?" she asked as Hiyoko walked over to them, carrying two trays in her arms with makeweights.

"Well, I don't know about you guys..." she proclaimed, placing the sushi on the table, which gathered most of the rookie gennin instructors. "But I'm quite confident my team has already cleared the test and are on their merry way to the next" she stated with a confident grin before elbowing the jounin, who sat closest to her: "How about you, Hasaki-kun?"

"It is pointless to engage in speculation" the swordsman replied in his usual monotone, using his chopsticks to grab another bite. Putting the food in his mouth, he chewed and swallowed, continuing only after completing that task: "But I would not have recommended my students to take the test if I did not think they were capable enough to handle themselves."

"So... you think they passed?" Hiyoko asked, unclear how she should understand his words.

"That I cannot determine at this point in time."

At this, Hinata giggled; Hasaki certainly reminded her of Shino is many ways. Her female companion however was not pleased with such a display. Luckily, Lee decided to join the conversation, wrapping his arm around the redhead: "Fear not, Hiyoko-chan! I'm sure our students have already embraced their youthful spirits and shown what they're capable of! Why, I wouldn't be surprised to hear they all finished as top among the participants!"

"The exams are not graded until their last stage" the swordsman pointed out, keeping his emotionless exterior. "There is very little possibility anyone can determine their standings throughout the event."

"Ain't you mister sunshine?" the bar owner noted with a sweat drop as she hung her arms. "Makes me kinda glad Teigo-chan didn't come... with you two joining forces, there's no fun to be had... Shika-kun, at the very least, doesn't let his lack of social skills get on my nerves..."

"Hey, I heard that!" the lazy jounin announced, getting out of his nap at the mention of his name.

"Where is Teigo-san anyway?" Lee wondered, looking around.

"He's not much of a social type" Hinata reminded him with a slightly concerned voice. "It's really not that surprising that he turned down Hiyoko-san's offer... I believe he claimed to have some, important matters to attend..."

"He always does" the redhead crossed her arms, letting out a frown. "I thought that getting gennin to look after would get him to open up at least a little, but tis was a fool's dream. I really cannot understand why would Hokage-sama agree to someone like that becoming part of Konoha. Say, Hinata-chan, you're quite familiar with Rokudaime's brain, getting busy with the boss and all" she noted with a devilish smirk, instantly making the head of the Hyuuga blush. "How about cluing us in on the whole thing?"

"Hokage-sama most definitely had his reasons" Hasaki replied her in stead, much to Hiyoko's dismal. "If he has not shared that information with you, it is not her place for Hinata-sama to do otherwise" he stated simply, placing another sushi in his mouth.

"Y'know, you could stop being a robot every once in a while" the redhead stuck out her tongue at the man, a little annoyed. In an attempt to break the tension, Lee jumped in again, his voice optimistic, like it usually was: "Well, anyways, we should use this time for fun! Soon our students will be begging us to prepare them for the final exam!"

"That, I wouldn't be so sure of" Shikamaru replied, rocking back in his seat with his eyes closed.

"What do you mean?" Hiyoko asked suspiciously, eying the man.

To this, the lazy jounin chuckled as he responded: "Obviously, you didn't hear who the second examiner was... regardless to the results of the first test... the second will not be that easy..."

-Back to young gennin-

"So, you guys, lost your match?" Garou repeated with bug eyes as the rookie gennin exchanged their stories of the first challenge. Apparently, each of the recent, Academy graduates made it through, which Toramaru saw as a good thing... for most part anyway.

"Yeah" Naraku nodded as he glared at the only, Sawa squad in the gathering. "And I advice you watch out for that creepy guy with bandages; I don't know what he is, but one thing's for certain – he's not human... and he's not to be taken lightly..."

Buryaku also kept a close eye on the trio as she tightened her fist, recalling the fight from just a few hours back: "_I swear_" she promised herself, determination written all over her face. "_Never again shall I allow myself to be that useless!_"

"It'd appear our guess was correct" Akumo stated, readjusting his glasses. "People gathered for this exam... are quite strong" he finished, making Gaki narrow his eyes as his attention shifted to a familiar group of metal-nins, who awaited the start of the second test near the wall.

All gennin now stood at the entrance into a hedge maze; the spot mentioned in the scrolls they received from Emisu. This was the place where their second exam was supposed to begin... or so they thought. Kumo already took the liberty of scanning the surroundings, as well as the participants, slightly shaken by his findings... not that anyone could actually tell: "_Out of seventy two teams, fifty seven still remain_" he concluded as his bugs crawled up his skin. "_That is quite... unexpected..._"

"So, Hakachi, feeling glad your brother made it through?" the headgear wearing sand-nin asked his female teammate in a teasing manner, noticing the kunoichi kept staring at the other, Suna team for the last, few moments. The blond gazed at him with a stoic expression, only to smile a moment later as she replied: "Well, I figured he wouldn't fail that easily."

"_She's happy_" Fuugo thought to himself, with disbelief. "_Positively, absolutely happy_" he concluded, keeping his arms crossed as he leaned against the tree. Glancing to where Shikyo and his squad was, a smile crossed his face, albeit his mask managed to cover that face perfectly: "_Well, of course she's happy... unstable he may be, that guy's still her younger brother..._"

"I gotta say this is a tad overwhelming" Jun stated, looking around. "Having this many people pass the first test" he added, then shifted his attention to the side, where a group of grass-nins were headed their way.

"Well, this is the gathering of the best gennin from the allied countries" announced a girl in the yellow kimono. "It's only natural that this exam was gonna be a challenge. But, those who won their match in the first test can, at the very least, claim that they have a better chance of advancing them some others; for example – if there is another fight, we already know we can take on that Hidden Rain team we defeated in our battle..."

"And you would be?" Toramaru asked, rising his eyebrow. They truly met a lot of people these past, few days. To this a pale boy with spots stepped forward, answering in a weak tone: "Just a curious, Kusa squad" he explained, grunting a couple of times before continuing: "No-one you should overly concern yourselves with any" he added with a cough.

"Relative of yours?" Garou joked, turning towards Gitou, who merely gave him a sleepy glance.

"I'm Ibara Kouba and these are my teammates: Makiba Hana and Utsuru Nekkei" announced the youngest in the bunch as he walked over to Akemi, bowing slightly. "And while my companion may be exaggerating a bit, he speaks the truth – we mean you no, ill will... well, until we're pitted against each other in the exam at least..."

"Everyone is surprisingly friendly for a challenge where all participants are, essentially, enemies" Gaki noted annoyed with a snarl. Certainly he didn't enjoy getting acquainted with people he cared little for... which constituted most of the gennin gathered.

"You really gotta work on your people skills" Hinako stated, displeased with her teammate as she greeted the grass-nins, making quick introductions; once she got to Akemi, Kouba seemed to flinch slightly, which made Toramaru narrow his eyes at thhe sensation: "_Another one_" he made a mental note, scanning the Kusa shinobi closely.

"Seems like your group is quite popular" Monuke announced with a cheerful voice as he joined the gathering with his teammates close behind. "What a guy gotta do to get that sort of attention?" he asked teasingly, making Naraku sweat drop: "Dunno, but if you ever figure it out, I'd be willing to trade it for ya..."

"Thanks, but we have Madoka" the pale leaf-nin reminded, pointing towards the girl. "We get all the attention we need... from guys anyway" he winked towards the kunoichi, to which she smirked. Kouhai rolled his eyes at their behavior, yet said nothing, keeping his overall calm exterior.

"We also saw our... friends from the other day" the kunoichi stated, pointing behind her, where an all-too-familiar trio of snow-nins sat, showing little interest in all the commotion. "I guess that they weren't all talk after all..."

"Who are they?" Shunrai asked concerned, turning towards her crush, but Toramaru merely waved the question off: "No-one you need to worry about... just a bunch of annoying idiots..."

"Yes" Hitomi nodded with a stoic face. "A lot of these seem to be walking around here" she added, glancing in the direction of a certain trio of cloud-nin, who seemed to be in the middle of a heated discussion:

"Let it go already, Fukaru" Juryoku snapped, visibly angered, as she crossed her arms. This was going on for a couple of hours now and she really had it up to here with her teammate's constant whining about stuff she didn't even found worth of mentioning.

"All I'm saying is that you should be more... composed" the blond boy went on, disregarding her words. "It's not lady-like to act as you did... besides, you really didn't had to go that far..."

"This was a match between shinobi, pinhead!" the kunoichi yelled, her eye twitching. "The goal was to defeat the enemy! I just used my ninjutsu to knock them out!"

"Yeah, but they surrendered before you did so" Fukaru noted, sweat dropping at the memory. "Which made your attack kinda uncalled for... besides, you didn't even gave a chance for me or Aitou to step in, so it was also selfish" he proclaimed, making the girl tighten her fists at his words as she barely held back her anger: "_Just wait for these exams to be over..._" she said to herself.

"Man, this waiting is killing me!" Shimiru announced, hanging his head. "When will the second exam start?" he asked as if anyone could actually answer him. True, most of the gennin had very similar thoughts as the supposed time for the next phase pasted a few minutes earlier and the examiner was nowhere in sight.

Suddenly an explosion occurred at the entrance to the maze, making everyone gaze in that direction. Unlike with Neji earlier, the blast was accompanied by fireworks that erupted from the smoke, painting the sky in a rainbow as the flashes made some of the gennin cover their eyes. Soon the sparkles formed a message in the air, which read "rejoice, Akimichi Ino has arrived!".

Sure enough, a moment later a young woman stepped out of the smoke, making the fireworks died down as she gave the gathering a cocky smile, blowing a few kisses, while most, young shinobi got frozen with shock at the display: "Greetings, brats! My name's Akimichi Ino and I was choosen as the proctor for your, second exam! Happy?"

Garou was about to howl from delight, but Toramaru managed to cover his mouth just in time, tilting his head to the left, where Choumaru stood: "Perhaps it's not the best idea to do that with the woman's son standing right besides you?" he purposed, sweat dropping that he even had to mention that.

"Well, looks like this time you dudes are in a favorable position" Shimiru teased, turning towards Shikamaru's students as his eyebrows flipped a few times. Shunrai immediately looked away, while Gitou coughed... per usual. The chubby gennin wasn't as thrilled as the skateboarder though: "Frankly, I fear it may be the opposite really..." he replied, his face frozen at the horror of the display they all just witnessed.

"Wow" Fukaru noted with his mouth wide opened. "Konoha jounin sure are weird" he proclaimed, making Aitou sweat drop at the comment: "_Like you're any better_" he thought to himself, barely managing to keep his emotionless exterior.

"_And here I thought Mashino-sensei was the pinnacle of stupidity_" Kobura hung his head down at the sight of the female jounin. Even the waterfall-nin with the large scroll, a teammate of Sayoku and Kitou, found it difficult to remain indifferent to the over-the-top entrance that the proctor made.

"_Freak show continues_" Shunsai nearly sighed, keeping his annoyance in check.

"Follow me as I lead you to the starting point of your, second exam!" Ino said in an ordering tone as she headed right into the labyrinth, making the gennin reluctantly tail her, some rather discouraged by the turn of events.

"What do you think the second exam is?" Gai asked excitedly as he looked around the narrow corridors, each looking the same as the previous, making it impossible to find one's way through the maze.

"Well, taking the spot into the account, it'd stand to reason it will have something to do with the labyrinth" Buryaku replied, carefully scanning the route. "The most likely possibility being that we'll need to find our way out of it before some sort of time limit runs out..."

"Not exactly fair for those of us who DON'T have a Byakugan in their midst" Akai teased with a warm chuckle, patting his female teammate on the back: "But if that is the case, as long as we have Akemi, we'll manage" he proclaimed, making the green-haired girl blush at the compliment. Gouka, however, did not share their enthusiasm:

"Most shinobi would have no problem reaching the top of these walls" she noted simply, keeping her eyes on the front as she walked before most of her, former classmates. "Unless there's some sort of a catch, such an exam would be too easy to test who's chuunin material and who isn't..."

Despite sound logic behind that claim, some of the gennin still decided to take no chances as for them, the second exam already began; Shikyo kept leaving tiny grains of his sand on the way, marking the route they used to help himself and his comrades to retrace their steps. Also Kouba, every now and then, sunk his arm into the walls for a moment; one could only guess it was in hope to gain some sort of advantage. Even Toukai, who closed the procession with his companions, at each fork in the road, draw a symbol on the ground at every entrance as means to get back.

All of that proven in vain as the group eventually reached the center of the maze, spotting a stone tower that climbed high into the sky. Its architecture was unusual as the building itself seemed to consist of square blocks, each placed on top of another without any, actual order, giving the impression the structure was very unbalanced.

"This it the Tower of Terror" Ino announced, turning towards the gennin with an evil smirk on her face. "The place of your, second exam..."

_**-do you dare enter?-**_

This concludes this chappie; hope you enjoyed it. I know this may seemed a bit filled-upish, but I can't just jump from one exam to the other ;P You do get a bit of the inside into Konoha jounin instructors as a bonus ;)

To be honest, with the reviews I was getting for the previous chapter, I was kinda temped to fail Toramaru and his team with the first test, just to make it a twist no-one saw coming ;P But, like NNG, this tale was planned ahead and I have limited possibilities to change the plot now... like how I kept Neji alive, despite recent events in manga (granted, I have a weird feeling Kishimoto is gonna pull another, crazy stunt and revive Neji, only without the cursed seal, so I'm not THAT worried over keeping him in this tale ;P).

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (the redhead girl with a black cat, Kuroki), Gaki Nayamasu (the muscular boy), Gai Rock (the boy with a bowl-like haircut)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (the girl with a crush on Toramaru), Choumaru Akimichi (the chubby boy), Gitou Hisakata (the coughing boy)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Konoha (?):**_ Madoka Garasu (the girl with gems), Kouhai Shimura (Danzou's cousin), Monuke (the pale-skinned boy)

_**Suna #1 (Mashino):**_ ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_ Sabaku no Hakachi (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

_**Kumo (?):**_ Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-folded boy)

_**Ame (?):**_ ? (the kimono wearing girl), Shunsai Irezumi (?), ? (the boy with a headgear)

_**Kane (?):**_ Moroha Gengetsu (the girl with a crescent-moon blade), Toukai Kurogane (the violet-haired boy), Kousotsu (the armored boy)

_**Kusa (?):**_ Hana Makiba (girl in a yellow kimono), Kouba Ibara (the boy in worn-out clothes), Nekkei Utsuru (the sick boy)

_**Taki (?):**_ Kitou (the girl with a praying stick), ? (the boy with a large scroll), Sayoku (the boy with bandaged mouth)

_**Yuki (?):**_ Orafu Futotta (the fat guy with the shield), Erikku Hakabakashi (the redhead), Balegu Seiretsu (the swordsman)

_**Sawa (?):**_ ? (the girl with the pipe), Kawaridane (the double-pupil teen), ? (the black-skinned teen with drums)

Yes, the list is corrected with the names mentioned in this chapter (like the name of the first Suna team instructor)... the list will eventually have all the names in it (but those of you, who couldn't wait, already got them from the Popularity Poll list, so none should come as a surprise ^^').

With that said – thanks for tuning in, hope you review and that in 2013 you'll get to read more of "those..." then last year ;) Until next time!


	23. The Second Exam

After taking a break from "Those..." during the previous update, I must admit writing this chapter went rather well... sure, I had some trouble with the middle, but everything else was a snap... just goes to prove that the earlier update, which included only NNG and LotL, just had some bad mojo on me ^^'

As always, I'd like to give an extra "thank you" for those of you who do review this tale. It really does keep me going to dig out time and write the next installment of this series. The **CHARACTER POPULARITY POLL** is still in play and those who haven't voted for their favorites yet (and would like to do so) should start choosing their votes as with chapter 25 the poll is closed, so that's coming pretty close now ;)

With this you get the general idea of the second exam as well as some hints to the events planned for later in the story. I filled-in a few blanks as well. Hope you'll find this chapter worth the wait:

**Chapter #23: The Second Exam**

_**Title Page:**_ Gai with a wide smile on his face, is punching is palm

Naruto signed another document just began a knock on the door filled the chamber. Lifting his eyes from the pile on the desk, he encouraged the guest to enter, settling his gaze on Teigo as the latter walked into the room: "You called for me, Hokage-san" he rather stated then asked, making nothing of the fact he skipped the usual honorific.

"That I did" the blond nodded with a serious expression, putting his pen away as he leaned back in his chair. The Rokudaime remained silent for a few moments, which annoyed the masked jounin slightly, but even he dared not to rush the Fire Shadow; dismal towards Konoha he may have, but the man before him has earned some respect: "I got word you rejected Hiyoko's invitation for sushi... it's not ramen, but that was a good chance for you to get acquainted with other instructors and" he began, yet got quickly interrupted by the former sound-nin, whose patience was slowly running out:

"How is that of any importance to me?" he questioned, managing to keep his calm. Years of practice allowed him to keep his emotions in check... most of the times. "By what happened in the past, you have my allegiance; I was not aware socializing was part of the deal."

"It could actually do you some good, Teigo" Naruto replied, getting up to walk in front of the desk. "I realize that this may be hard... I can even relate to it somewhat... but pushing everyone away certainly won't help to fill the void that you carry."

"Who said I intent to fill it?" the masked jounin challenged the blond, but the latter remained unfazed: "You can't fool me with such claims; I've been there and I can bet you're not happy with the current mindset. You just use it as defense mechanism, but even without knowing you get close to people and losing them will have its impact on you. Isn't it better to accept that and use the time you're given to appreciate those around you?"

"I believe I have already told you that I prefer to avoid all ties, Hokage-san" the former sound-nin pressed, narrowing his eyes. "Plus I do not think of Konoha as my home so there is little reason for me to form any bonds here in the first place..."

"And yet you went out of your way to help Toramaru and his team improve before the exams" the Rokudaime smirked at the comment, forcing Teigo's eyes to narrow even further. Being able to press someone's buttons so effectively certainly made him recall the old, simpler days.

"Is this the reason I was called from my time off?" the masked jounin demanded, skillfully changing the subject. Naruto allowed himself a weak sigh as he shook his head in negation: "No. I actually wanted to talk to you, since I heard you came in contact with Sai's squad a few days back. It's not a pressing matter, so I didn't handle it right away, but I figured it's best to check how you feel."

"What does that suppose to mean? They're just brats, I don't care about them."

"But you know what they are... who they are" the blond quickly corrected himself, a memory of his younger days making his eye twitch for the briefest of moments. "I would imagine their presence here may not sit well with you."

"That would make me a bit of a hypocrite, would it not?" Teigo responded with a smirk behind his mask, although he couldn't deny there was some truth to what the Fire Shadow assumed. Recomposing himself, he went on, his voice emotionless again: "That girl... Madoka... is fine. It's that Monuke brat that troubles me; I'm not that dense to believe he's been kept in the dark all this while, but his heritage is unsettling, especially with what's been going on lately. I assume you remember my report for the mission in Rock Country?"

"Yes, of course" Naruto nodded thoughtfully. "But there are many things taking place and trust me when I say that the sudden activity of former sound-nins is but one of our worries. I'm sure you already heard rumors about sightings near the Fire Nation borders... there's Iwa... even Konoha itself is slowly getting thorn apart from the inside... as it stands, we need to bond together in case the situation escalates and Monuke can prove a valuable ally..."

"Or a dangerous treat" the masked jounin jumped in, underlining his words. "It may be strange of me to say so, considering my own past, but that brat was specifically chosen as a fail safe; you shouldn't let his friendly exterior make you forget that."

"We are all designed for something, Teigo" the Rokudaime replied, placing his palm on the stomach in the exact spot a powerful seal was. "But it's our choices that decide our fate. People are neither good nor bad by nature... they're just people and they all follow their own path that they've selected... just like you did" he added, somewhat sternly, which made the former sound-nin lower his eyes. Silence filled the room for a few moment, until the jounin spoke again, his voice calm once more:

"You really have a talent to catch people in psychological traps, Hokage-san" he announced, making the blond smirk under his nose. "As far as I can tell, we are not in any, immediate danger from Oto, so I guess Monuke's persona is a secondary issue, but rest assured I'll be watching him closely during these exams. From their lineage alone, his squad is very troubling.

"Perhaps" the Kyuubi vessel nodded as he walked back to his desk and sat on the chair, reaching for a scroll. "Only time will tell where everyone's allegiance lay. For now, I have a special assignment for you to handle" he stated, handing Teigo the document.

Curious, the masked man opened it and scanned the text, lifting his sight suspiciously at the blond: "Me of all people?" he asked doubtful, to which Naruto only smirked.

-Back to the young gennin-

"This is the Tower of Terror" Ino announced with an evil smirk. "The place of your, second exam" she proclaimed, making all the gennin scan the strange structure closely; the building seemed to be made of squares, one placed on the other in a chaotic manner, which gave the impression that the tower was about to topple over. It's peak hid beyond the clouds above, making it impossible to see just how high the thing was: "This is a very special place that I've picked. Your job will, naturally, be to reach its top."

"Just like that?" Kobura asked suspiciously, which widen the jounin's smile.

"Of course not" she replied, obviously happy to hear that question. "Each of the teams will enter the tower and head up, but only those that will reach the top within three hours, counting from the moment they walk in, will pass this test and qualify for the next..."

"So this is basically a race with survival elements in the mix?" Buryaku analyzed her words.

"Not exactly" Ino responded with a shake of her head. "You see this is not a simple tower" she proclaimed, making Gaki sweat drop at the news: "_You don't say_" he thought to himself sarcastically, looking the structure up and down, while the proctor went on: "For years this place was used as a training ground for Konoha's genjutsu users; some of you probably realized that, despite its height, you couldn't see it from the maze..."

"Cloaked in genjutsu barrier" Akumo nodded, readjusting his glasses. The jounin's eye twitched at the comment; no-one likes a smarty pants: "That's pretty much it" she agreed, glancing at the structure. "The tower contains over a hundred and fifty floors, each made of a single room with various properties. Most of this you don't need to worry about as neither of you will have to visit them all; on your way up, each team will stop by at only three floors..."

"How's so?" Hinako asked suspiciously, while Moroha followed with an obvious question: "So this is a test to grade our resistance against genjutsu or something?"

"If you brats would stop interrupting me, I might actually manage to tell you the details!" Ino boiled inside, making some of the gennin instinctually back away as a killing urge emanated from the kunoichi. Quickly she recomposed herself and went on with the explanation: "As I already told you – your goal is to reach the top of the tower within three hours and you will visit three rooms on your way there. There will be no encounters with the other squads; thanks to genjutsu floating around the place; all you'll need to worry is clearing the challenges that await you in each chamber. Naturally, having over hundred and fifty rooms means most of you will come across a unique problem along the way..."

"So what are those challenges?" Shikyo asked, losing his patience.

"I was just getting to that" the jounin responded, allowing the smirk to return to her face. "But I cannot give you exact details. In stead, I can tell you that currently, each room in the tower is occupied by a chuunin from Konoha. Each of them have prepared a challenge that tests one of the qualities a chuunin should possess. To that end, in order to reach the top, you'll need to prove you have already gained the skills required for the rank."

"Sounds reasonable enough" Kouba nodded with approval.

"There is a catch though..."

"Ain't there always?" the sand-nin with the scrolls frowned at the news, crossing his arms. For most part Ino ignored his comment and continued, annoyance blooming within her anew; this was certainly the last time she agreed to take charge of a Chuunin Exam: "As I said, each squad will have to face three challenges; there's no way to tell what the objective of these tests will be, but all are individual in nature and one person can take just one of these challenges. To put it simply – you can't have the same guy clear more then one chamber throughout the duration of this exam."

"That seems a bit unfair" Toramaru noted, scanning the tower up and down. "Since there's no telling what tests await us, how can we possible decide which of us is best-suited to take each challenge? What if, for example, the squad has a member who's proficient in both genjutsu and taijutsu, while another is strictly a taijutsu type? Having no information about the tests may result in the team picking the former for a taijutsu challenge, while the next one could prove a genjutsu one."

"Such scenario is preciously the reason for this exam to be made the way it is" the jounin explained calmly, not surprised by the accusation at all. "If you recall, I already said that these challenges are meant to test your predispositions as chuunin, which means all of you, in order to get promoted, should be able to clear these tests. Moreover, this is also an exam of your tactics and general capability to perform missions; in real life, shinobi rarely know what lays ahead, so facing the unknown is part of the job prescription. Being able to adapt and wisely choose the best strategy, without possessing Intel on all the details is crucial to a successful completion of the task at hand... and, since chuunin is the rank of team leader, completing the mission becomes mostly their responsibility..."

"So situational judgment becomes quite important within those walls" Kouhai summed up, smiling slightly. Nekkei however narrowed his eyes at realization: "_Plus, if you're clever enough, with this arrangement, you can always try to implement probability theory and do form a strategy that will work... to some extend anyway..._"

"What if the team fails to clear one of the challenges?" Shunrai asked worriedly in her quiet voice.

"You fail the exam" Ino replied simply with a shrug. "There is no 'majority' here – you either succeed or go home. During missions, lives of your teammates are top priority, there is no such thing as 'acceptable sacrifice'. To that end, you must aim to bring all your subordinates alive. In order to assign them their role, you need to know their strengths and weaknesses, so that the task won't turn out too big for them to handle. This is also a skill that this exam tests..."

"There's just one entrance" the waterfall-nin with the huge scroll noted in a robotic monotone. "How do we decide the order in which we enter?"

"Some of you already made arrangements in preparation of this exam, marking their way out of the labyrinth" the jounin responded with a smirk, sending several contestants a pleased gaze. "I think it's only fair to let them have the first crack at the tower" she added with a devilish grin. "We will call you by the number your received in the previous test. Once you're called, your squad is to enter the tower and their time begins. Those that will succeed to reach the top in their time limit will learn the details of the further exams there."

"And what if someone manages to dispel the genjutsu barrier placed upon the tower?" Kitou asked, mildly curious. "Surely there are at least few illusionists in our midst."

"You can feel free to do that" Ino assured her with an uncaring voice. "That will only result in the team having to pass all the levels of the tower, effectively rising the number of tests from three to over a hundred. You'll be only hindering yourselves that way."

"_Makes sense_" Jun nodded to himself. "_I suppose..._"

"The teams will enter the tower in three minute intervals" the proctor state, pointing towards a speaker hung at the top of the doors to the structure. "This is where the information about which squad in to walk in will come from. Those who would dare attack their chuunin examiner, assuming a duel with him is not the test, are immediately disqualified, of course. Any questions?" she asked, receiving few shakes from the gathering. "Good, then last piece of advice for you all – regardless to the challenge, this is still a training ground for genjutsu users... so not everything is what it seems. I encourage you to keep that in mind. Good luck, brats" and with that she was gone, leaving the young gennin to themselves.

"Wow" Shimiru spoke once the jounin was out of sight. "Never thought your mom could be scary, Chou-chan" he joked, patting the chubby boy on the back. Choumaru only sent him an evil glare as the first team was called, making Shikyo and his two teammates head for the entrance. As they passed, Kobura smirked under his nose, settling his gaze on Toramaru, Naraku and Garou.

"This may be quite a troublesome exam" Kumo noted, surprising everyone that he actually talked. "Regardless to your strategy, a possibility that you'll face three taijutsu tests in a row exists and if even one member of your squad is not well-versed in such skills, the entire team fails. A psychological factor is also in tact here."

"Good to see we're not the only ones that are nervous" Fukaru stated as he walked towards the Leaf group with his comrades close behind. "But it seems those white eyes of the Hyuuga are not just for show" he added, turning towards Hitomi and Toramaru, while Aitou flinches slightly. The kunoichi made little of the comment, yet the blond, per usual, was not about to let that slip:

"Drop it already! I may have Hyuuga blood flowing through my veins, but I am an Uzumaki first and foremost!" he snapped, making Buryaku place her hand on his shoulder, speaking in a bored tone: "Would you mind not looking for a fight everywhere you go? I venture we have enough enemies as is" she proclaimed, turning her head towards both Taki and Sawa teams they met earlier, stopping at the trio of snow-nins more in the back. The blond nodded as the speaker announced the second squad to enter the tower.

Walking forward was a trio of rain-nins, the boy in the back being dressed in a gray shirt with a brown, body armor covering most of it and wooden headgear hiding his silver hair. Dull, gray eyes gazed out front as seven umbrellas hung on his back. The girl beside him donned a light-blue kimono with wide sleeves and raindrop pattern, while a whip was tied to her headband, which she used as a belt. A pair of green eyes and long, blue hair, falling freely, finished the look.

The one walking in front of the two was a boy slightly older then them with spiky, red hair and violet eyes. He wore a red, somewhat puffy jumpsuit with rolled up sleeves, which allowed everyone to see many, black tattoos decorating his arms. Gray, baggy pants hid his legs, while the Ame hitae-ate was in its rightful place. The most unusual feature was the fact the boy had no weapon hostels on him.

"_Who are those three?_" Naraku wondered, while Hana smiled, watching the Rain kunoichi: "This one's got a good fashion sense" she said happily, readjusting her own kimono, to which Kouba only sweat dropped.

Meanwhile Balegu gave Orafu a questioning glance, to which the chubby gennin nodded as he answered the unspoken question: "The other two are nothing special, but that tattooed guy's battle level is over a hundred... and by quite much so..."

"Man, another test where we gotta wait our turn!" Toramaru whined, smacking his forehead. "This is gonna kill me!"

"If you don't shut up, I will!" Gouka snapped, boiling inside. "One of a traits any shinobi should possess is patience, dammit! If you don't possess that, then you shouldn't be here in the first place!"

"_And what does your behavior just now tell about your possession of such trait?_" Garou thought to himself, sweat dropping at his teammate's antics, yet had no courage to speak out loud; the female Uchiha was certainly not someone to trifle with.

"These are just three minute intervals" Gai stepped in, trying to calm the situation as another squad went for the entrance, this one composed of Monuke, Madoka and Kouhai, who avoided eye-contact with the young leaves from embarrassment. "If you could calm your youthful spirit just a tad, I'm sure you'll be called soon enough this time around..."

"_I'm surrounded with idiots_" Juryoku noted annoyed, her eye twitching, while Toukai smiled under his nose at the scene: "_The bowl-cut freak is obviously the pacifist of the group_" he thought playfully, recalling their first meeting a few days back.

Time went by as more and more squads went into the tower, emptying the field. Each gennin got busy to fight off the boredom or to just push back the stress that slowly crept in; Gai began a physical training session, joined by, to most people surprise, by Gaki, while Garou and Hinako shifted their attention to their mammal partners; Choumaru chowed down on more potato chips, a fact that didn't sit too well with Gitou, who went to sleep, after a massive, coughing attack.

Shimiru started to show of his skateboarding skills and quickly had Akai joined in, granted the second the redhead set foot on the board, his slipped, landing hard on his back, much to Gouka and Gaki's evident joy. Even Akemi occupied herself with looking through the walls of the surrounding maze, obviously intrigued by the bush structure. Only Kumo remained still, allowing a spider to crawl around his body at one time, grossing Shunrai out.

Finally the speaker invited team number 61 into the tower, making Toramaru, Buryaku and Naraku step forward as they headed towards the structure. Walking through the door, the trio found themselves in a plain, square room with just a mat located in the center. Opposite to the group, an exit decorated the wall, while a familiar, female figure stood guarding it.

"K-Kumiko-sensei?" Naraku's eyes nearly went out of orbits at the sight of their Academy teacher. "What are you doing here?" he asked, making his female teammate roll her eyes: "Duh, she's the examiner of our first challenge; remember, Ino-san said we'll meet chuunin in these walls. Considering that is the rank of all, Academy instructors, I'd say there's a high chance some of the older ninja gathered as examiners are the ones that taught us back at school."

"I see you haven't changed much, Buryaku" the older kunoichi smiled at her former student's perceptiveness. "Yes, aside from me, most teachers are actually among these walls today. But that's beside the point; don't think I'll go easy on you out of sentiment. You're the ones with time limit, so maybe we should just get right to it, huh? The test I've prepared for you is a battle; as soon as you choose your representative for the match, we can begin."

"A duel?" Toramaru repeated suspiciously, rising his eyebrow. The chuunin nodded and the three youths quickly bended towards each other, whispering: "Something's a miss here" the blond girl announced immediately. "Kumiko-sensei was a genjutsu instructor back at the Academy... a simple test of strength under her guidance seem... unlikely at best."

"How's so?" Naraku asked, obviously missing Buryaku's trail of thoughts, to which the kunoichi sighed: "Her specialty are illusions! The most logical assumption would be that her challenge has something to do with that. A taijutsu match would be very disadvantageous for her."

"You think there's a catch?" Toramaru questioned, to which the other blonde nodded: "I most certainly am; while there could be real confrontation, I doubt it'll be as straight forward as Kumiko-sensei is making us believe."

"So what do you purpose we do?" the young Uchiha asked worriedly.

"I was never a fighting type to begin with and while my knowledge of genjutsu is considerable, if it'll come down to a duel, I may cause us the victory" Buryaku analyzed quickly, narrowing her eyes. "Toramaru on the other hand should have no problem with illusions, thanks to his Byakugan, as well as a fight, using his Gentle Fist. One must not forget, however, that he's a more straight-forward type; if this challenge has some sort of trick to it, he may be too thick to catch on..."

"Hey!" the white-eyed boy frowned, but a bored look from the girl made him hung his head; "Yeah, okay" he complied; certainly there was no point arguing with the truth.

"You want me to step forward?" Naraku more stated then asked, receiving another nod from the kunoichi: "You're well-versed in genjutsu, so you should be fine in that department. And you're not that bad in a fight, should the test came down to physical confrontation either. Without knowing any specifics, you seem like our best bet now... skipping the fact that both Toramaru and myself possess strengths in certain fields; you're the most balanced of the three..."

"Okay" the young Uchiha agreed as as the trio complied, he walked forward, taking a deep breath: "Looks like I'll be taking your challenge, Kumiko-sensei!"

"Very well" the woman nodded, motioning to the boy to step onto the mat. "As I said, this will be a battle, but you best watch yourself" she announced, forming a quick set of seals. In a flash a figure formed from air before Naraku, taking an all-too-familiar shape. Buryaku felt a single drop of sweat running down her face, while Toramaru's eyes widen at the sight.

Naraku took a single step back as the phantom formed before him, giving Kumiko a confused look, to which the chuunin smiled: "This is, technically, a simple bunshin, but the genjutsu I placed upon this room make its attacks real, just like any technique you'll use will damage it. You're not allowed to break that spell throughout the duration of the match. Your goal is, naturally, to defeat your opponent by destroying him, which can be achieved through killing, knocking it down or forcing it to surrender, though knowing you, the letter is quite unlikely" she added, widening her smirk as the boy gazed into the black eyes of his adversary, placed in a face much too familiar. "I advice you be careful, Naraku-kun... your opponent... is yourself!"

_**-the worst, possible opponent!-**_

And this concludes this chapter! So, what do you guys think? From reviews I can tell some of you believed this will be the survival exam, but it's not ;P That is still coming ;) And I did realize I never gave a more detailed description of the Ame team, so I decided to fix that now.

Also, Kumiko is a character that already appeared in the story; those of you who remember the Academy arc might recall a teacher who helped Gai improved on his chakra techniques... yes, that was her ;) I used such a premise for the second exam partly to remind you of some chuunin you met along the way ;) Plus I got to 'update' the character list a bit:

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (the redhead girl with a black cat, Kuroki), Gaki Nayamasu (the muscular boy), Gai Rock (the boy with a bowl-like haircut)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (the girl with a crush on Toramaru), Choumaru Akimichi (the chubby boy), Gitou Hisakata (the coughing boy)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Konoha (Sai):**_ Madoka Garasu (the girl with gems), Kouhai Shimura (Danzou's cousin), Monuke (the pale-skinned boy)

_**Suna #1 (Mashino):**_ ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_ Sabaku no Hakachi (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

_**Kumo (?):**_ Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-folded boy)

_**Ame (?):**_ ? (the kimono wearing girl), Shunsai Irezumi (the tattooed boy), ? (the boy with a headgear)

_**Kane (?):**_ Moroha Gengetsu (the girl with a crescent-moon blade), Toukai Kurogane (the violet-haired boy), Kousotsu (the armored boy)

_**Kusa (?):**_ Hana Makiba (girl in a yellow kimono), Kouba Ibara (the boy in worn-out clothes), Nekkei Utsuru (the sick boy)

_**Taki (?):**_ Kitou (the girl with a praying stick), ? (the boy with a large scroll), Sayoku (the boy with bandaged mouth and a hawk, Takamu)

_**Yuki (?):**_ Orafu Futotta (the fat guy with the shield), Erikku Hakabakashi (the redhead), Balegu Seiretsu (the swordsman)

_**Sawa (?):**_ ? (the girl with the pipe), Kawaridane (the double-pupil teen), ? (the black-skinned teen with drums)

That's it for the time being. Hope you had fun reading this and until next time!


	24. Battles of Their Own

Hey guys. Sorry it took me so long to complete this chapter, but this was one heck of a bothersome part to finish. Believe it or not, at one point I re-wrote almost everything in it, because I didn't particularly like how it came down. To not spoil, I won't go into details here, those of you who are interested can read the author's note at the end for that ;)

Per usual I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the previous chapter; it's the main thing that kept me 'on track' to complete this installment, despite my limited time lately. Also, a little reminder to everyone who'd like to take part in the **CHARACTER POPULARITY POLL**: this is the last chance to do so – with the upload of the next chapter (which will, undoubtfully, take place after Easter, but still shouldn't take as long as this one) the poll will be closed. So, next up are the results of the poll and I must say that, at this point, I am a bit surprised by the outcome; sure, it can change entirely by the end, but some characters I did not anticipate to grow in fame have risen :D

Without further ado, lets get to the chapter itself:

**Chapter #24: Battles of Their Own**

_**Title Page:**_ Gitou is laying in a hospital bed with a thermometer in his mouth and a bag of ice on his forehead, the rest of his body covered in sheets

"Be careful, Naraku-kun" Kumiko advised the boy as she stepped away from the two combatants. "Your opponent... is yourself!" she proclaimed just before the fake charged forward, beating the distance in a flash.

Caught off guard, the young Uchiha could do no more then block the fist that came at his face and then strafe left as a knee went for his gut. Dodging the second attack, he launched an uppercut to the copy's chin, yet the bunshin avoided the assault by merely tilting its head and went into a spin, attempting to sweep the original off his feet.

Naraku reacted instantly and lifted his right foot up, making the kick go under, while he himself threw the leg at his opponent's cheek, only to have the latter flip back, dodging the attack. The young Uchiha dashed after his mirror image and aimed a straight punch to its face, but the fake avoided that assault as well by bending back and placing its hands on the floor, the bunshin relocated its body, throwing a kick to its adversary's cheek.

The original ducked under the leg and spun on his foot, throwing a kick back, right at the copy's chest, however the fake anticipated the attack again and rolled forward, out of the assault's reach. Coming to a sudden stop, the mirror image turned to face the rookie gennin and grabbed the fist that came at it with its left hand, while aiming a punch of its own to Naraku's stomach.

The young Uchiha caught the attack in the same manner his clone did, trapping the two in a deadlock, which only made Buryaku wary: "_They're, very literally, evenly matched_" she noted, keeping a calm exterior: "_It's like one can read the other movements..._"

Meanwhile Naraku got tired of the stalemate and put his knee into motion, only to have it blocked by the bunshin's knee as well; quickly he let go of his opponent's fist and grabbed the latter's collar in the attempt to toss the fake over the shoulder, yet to his shock the clone used his freed hand to push his arm off course, creating an opening.

In a blink of an eye the copy thrust its hand forward, smashing its opened palm against the young Uchiha's chest, just under his throat. The sudden sensation made the original slow down for the briefest of moments, yet that was enough for his mirror image, which used that instant to spin around and deliver a powerful kick to his face, sending the boy upwards.

Naraku cursed under his nose as he flipped in the air, quickly forming a seal the instant his feet touched the floor: "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he called out as four explosions erupted beside him, summoning perfect copies of himself, wrapped in white smoke. However, his smirk quickly changed into shock as his phantom mimicked the gesture, calling forth a quartet of clones of his own.

With a twitching eye, the young Uchiha went through a set of symbols, followed suit by his bunshin as they all gathered air in their lungs. In a flash the quintet released flames from their lips, making the fire merge into a single, humongous orb that raced towards their adversaries with a sizzling noise: "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

Without delay the fake Narakus repeated the action and soon the two flames collided, dying out before everyone's eyes. This annoyed the young gennin even further while he went for his weapon hostel, tossing a shuriken at his opponent. To his dismal, the phantom easily deflected the assault with a shinobi star of his own, allowing both projectiles to fall harmlessly to the floor.

"Oh, come on!" the young Uchiha snapped as all bunshin got dispelled, leaving him and the fake alone on the battlefield. The boy's arms dropped as his head lowered at the progression of the match: "This is ridiculous! If he's me, then he possess the same skills! It's only natural that we're evenly matched! How can I possibly get the upperhand?"

"If it was that simple, there wouldn't be a point in testing you, would there?" Kumiko replied with a smirk, annoying the gennin even further. With a twitching eye Naraku gazed back at his mirror image, trying to come up with some sort of strategy: "_This is certainly one hell of a genjutsu – this thing knows all my moves, possess the exact same skills... he even seem to think similarly to me! I can't take him by surprise and there's a sure bet he'll see through any strategy I device. How in the world am I supposed to beat myself?_" he questioned and then his eye widen at realization: "_Myself..._" he repeated, shifting his eyes towards the woman as if to get validation his guess was correct.

Getting no read from the chuunin, the gennin charged at the copy, performing a quick seal on the way: "Henge!" he proclaimed as his body got covered by white smoke. In a flash a new figure rushed out of the cloud, coming right at the phantom; still an Uchiha, but it was not Naraku anymore.

Instantly Gouka appeared before the phantom and delivered a knee to its gut before the copy could even react. With the wind knocked out of its lungs, the bunshin was left helpless, allowing the 'kunoichi' to trip it, pushing her palm against its neck in the process. Landing hard on the floor, 'Naraku' felt a body mass pressing against him as a kunai appeared near his throat.

"Looks like I win in the end" Gouka stated with a smirk as another puff wrapped around her body, allowing it to turn back into the real Naraku. A moment later the phantom faded into thin air, leaving behind nothing more then purple smoke. The young Uchiha glanced at Kumiko, yet the chuunin was in no rush to announce the result:

"That was an... interesting strategy, Naraku-kun" she proclaimed, rubbing her chin. "However did you came up with it?" she asked, making the boy scratch the back of his head in embarrassment as a single drop of sweat run down his face.

"Well" he began, carefully choosing his words. "I noticed that phantom was the exact replica of myself; not just in looks, but in deed and skill as well. There was no way I could beat it in a simple 'one on one' match, so it got me thinking - if he has the same strengths... maybe he has the same weaknesses."

"And Gouka?" Buryaku questioned, her face expression confusion beyond belief.

"Well, I may not show it, but ever since my youth, my sister always made me feel uneasy when she was around" the young Uchiha replied, doing his best to avoid eye-contact. "I recently realized this when I got to see here after finishing Academy; I may not be afraid of her anymore, but I still get nervous. Figured that her, sudden appearance on the scene would throw me off my game... and that's exactly what happened to that clone."

"_Even though he says that_" Toramaru analyzed, narrowing his eyes. "_Up till now he was unable to break through that bunshin's guard... with just taking Gouka's form, the situation changed drastically; he may say what he wants, but the truth is, to him, Gouka's still..._"

"Took you a bit longer then I've anticipated" Kumiko announced with a smile, interrupting the blond's trail of thought as she gathered everyone's attention. "But, there's no denying that you pass this test" she finished, making Naraku light up instantly as he went into Toramaru's arms. Buryaku, doing her best to avoid embarrassment, made a wide circle around the two as she headed towards their old Academy teacher.

"Nice job, Naraku" the blond boy high-five his friend. "Knew you had the fighting skills of a chuunin" he complimented the young Uchiha, but quickly the woman joined their conversation, correcting the white-eyed gennin: "Actually, that wasn't specifically what was tested here..."

"It wasn't?" Naraku asked surprised, turning towards her.

"No" Kumiko repeated calmly. "Your fighting capabilities will be checked elsewhere; this challenge I prepared was something different altogether and there was a reason why you fought a phantom of yourself in order to pass."

"So what was the purpose?" Buryaku questioned, visibly curious.

"Being chuunin will put you in position of squad leader" the other kunoichi explained, her face turning serious all of a sudden. "It'll be your job to not only fulfill mission objectives but also bring all of your subordinates home safely. In order to do that, you'll need to know their strengths and weaknesses to better distribute assignments..."

"_That is preciously what Ino-san said_" Toramaru nodded to himself with understanding.

"I believe that knowing other people is impossible if one doesn't know themselves" Kumiko went on, regaining his attention. "A leader must be perfectly aware of his own skills; both strengths AND weaknesses! It's easy to determine what we're good at, but being able to see your own inability provides you with a much more, useful knowledge, especially since most people are not willing to accept their flaws. And, as long as you know where you're short, you have made the first step to improvement in that regard" she announced, scanning the group to see if they understood.

Receiving determined looks from all three, she smiled, clearing the way towards the doors: "Well, that's all I had to tell you; I suggest you hurry – it took Naraku a bit more to clear the test and your time is short. Don't wanna fail this early, do you?" she teased, making the trio bow and head through the exit. Immediately they found themselves in what seemed to be an endless stairway and, without wasting another moment, they went up, beating the distance at top speed.

The room they entered was even simpler then the previous – lacking the mat in the center, it was a plain cubical with a single door on the opposite side and a lone figure standing beside it; having spiky, ash-gray hair and eyes in the same color, this individual was clad in a black jumpsuit with a gray vest and metal protectors covering his legs. The Leaf hitae-ate shun on his forehead, while three, medium size, round rings hung in his left ear.

"Takashi-sensei?" Toramaru raised his eyebrow at the sight, granted this was not as surprising as the previous encounter: "You're our second examiner?"

"I take it you already ran into one of my, Academy colleagues" the man responded with an overly-stretched voice while he reached to the back of his vest. "To answer your question – yes, I will be your challenger here. Please, choose your representative wisely... and I already know Naraku cannot participate" he added, picking out two candles; one thick, but short, while the other thin, yet tall. "The test itself isn't complicated – we will battle with two candles; whoever's flame dies first loses."

"_Dammit, even in these circumstances, his lectures are boring_" the young Uchiha whined in his mind at the monotone voice of his former teacher. To his shock, his female companion stepped forward immediately, this time not bothering to consult her choice with others.

"Buryaku, what are you doing?" Toramaru demanded, glancing at the kunoichi.

"Doing my part" the girl replied casually with a shrug. "If it comes down to choosing a candle, either one of us can take this; between you and me, you're the one with more talents, so it's more likely that you're a better choice for the last challenge... this one only tests our luck."

"You really think it's that simple?" Naraku asked skeptically.

"Not exactly, no" Buryaku admitted calmly. "However, if the match is resolved with choosing a candle, then any tactics are useless – there's no telling which of the two will burn out faster and while we can assume one of these is booby-trapped, there really is no way to determine which is which; either of us has the exact same chance of success in this one."

"There is some sense in what you're saying" the white-eyed boy agreed. "Still, do you really believe this test to be that straight-forward?"

"Takashi-sensei was a history teacher in the Academy" the kunoichi responded immediately. "It's a safe bet there's no, particular field of shinobi skills he can grade us on besides tactics and knowledge and, in those areas, I believe to be superior in our group."

"I hate it when you're such a know-it-all" the other blond commented, but deep down knew she spoke the truth. With the silent allowance, Buryaku continued forward and picked the tall and thin candle: "I'd like to have that one" she announced, making the chuunin nod.

Calmly he reached for his vest and picked out two matches; without haste he handed her the candle she choose along with the stick, while keeping the other set for himself: "On my mark we shall light the candles" he announced, receiving a nod from the kunoichi: "Now."

The knots lit up and the flames came to life above wax. At first everything seemed normal, giving premise to the most boring duel in history... but, a moment later, the blonde's flame strengthened, devouring the candle right before her eyes. The girl watched this happen calmly, yet her teammates were visibly freaked-out over the result:

"Shit, that was the booby-trapped one!" Naraku yelled, panicking.

"Not exactly" Takashi corrected in his usual, robotic tone. "The fact is I have two sets, each equipped with one that is booby-trapped; I made the switch while I was reaching for the matches. Regardless to the candle Buryaku would've picked, she would receive the one burning faster."

"What the hell?" Toramaru snapped at the news. "And you just admit it like that? This isn't fair, Takashi-sensei!"

"Why not?" the chuunin asked without any trace of remorse. "All I said was that in order for you to succeed, my flame will need to die faster then yours... I even specifically said that we'll be battling with 'two candles' in stead of 'these candles', indicating there might be more then just two."

"But how can we win if everything is against us?" the young Uchiha questioned, discouraged.

"And how is that any different from a mission in a foreign country?" the man replied, making a point. "As chuunin you'll be sent on missions beyond Fire Nation's borders, to lands you often know little of; having no information about the enemy or terrain, you go in blindly and have to accept your adversary's terms, which, for most part, are not favorable to you. Your ability to adapt... to overcome such obstacles and succeed above all odds makes the difference between life and death."

"That is a valid point" Buryaku nodded as she gently placed her candle on the floor. "I must compliment you on the premise of this test, Takashi-sensei" she added, taking a few steps forward. "However, I already promised myself that I will not drag these guys down again" she announced, tilting her head at the two boys. "And thus, I cannot lose here" she finished, reaching for her fan.

In a flash the kunoichi swung her weapon, creating a powerful gust of wind which sped towards the chuunin. Before the man could react, the air hit his flame, instantly putting it down, leaving just a thin trail of smoke to climb to the ceiling. Keeping his calm exterior, the Academy instructor gazed at his candle and then at the girl, his face indifferent:

"Congratulations, you pass" the lack of ceremony those words were spoken in made Toramaru sweat drop; one would think that after four years of school he'd have gotten used to Takashi's persona, but the man was and always will be an annoying, old fart. One thing the boy had to admit after this though – be it knowledge from textbooks or actual experience, this gray-haired chuunin definitely knew what it took to be a real ninja; a fact he didn't fully appreciate up til now.

The trio bowed to their, former teacher and went out the door, to another flight of stairs. After a quick reminder from Buryaku that their three hours were nearly up, they rushed through the steps, reaching the next doors in record time.

They entered the final chamber, which seemed little different then the previous two – same, square shape and white walls, the inside rid of basically any furniture. And yet, there was something unusual for this room; it had two doors on the opposite side. The trio exchanged glances, taken slightly aback by the fact, just as the examiner appeared before them: "Well, this is surprising... me actually getting to test you three..."

The young gennin gave little indication that they were shocked; running into two of their Academy teachers earlier, it wasn't that mind-blowing to have a third in their way. True, it was uncanny, but nothing even 'twitch-worthy'.

"So what's the challenge, Iruka-sensei?" Toramaru asked unceremonially, making the chuunin sweat drop at the lack of reaction from his former students. He let out a sigh as a memory of a certain blond on his first attempt in these exams rushed through his head. Now he shown a proper way of greeting in these circumstances.

"The test is rather simple" the scar-faced man replied after letting out a sigh. "And, as I understand, you're the challenger?" he asked as the white-eyed boy stepped forward. The son of Hokage nodded, which made Iruka perform a quick seal. In a flash two, identical figures appeared in the room, both wearing wide, blue robes and sporting a thick, brown beard around their mouths. Messy, brown hair stood in all directions from their heads, while the symbol of the Leaf decorated their sleeves and backs: "These are Tai and Kai" the man introduced the duo, pointing in their general direction in stead of one by one, which made Buryaku very suspicious. "They are your only hope in this challenge... as well as the only obstacle..."

"Huh?" the blond let out with a dumb-fooled expression plastered on his face.

"Before I explain, it's best to set the rules first" the chuunin announced, turning towards the white-eyed boy's teammates. "You two are strictly forbidden to do anything that might influence this test in any way; you may whisper among yourselves, since Toramaru is not allowed to use his Byakugan and thus won't be able to read your lips... but also Sharingan is forbidden, if you've managed to awaken it, Naraku-kun."

"_No doujutsu allowed?_" Buryaku thought to herself curiously, while the man shifted his attention back to the blond boy: "Now, Toramaru, as you can see, there are two doors leading out of here; one will guide you to the top of the tower and completion of this exam... the other marks 'immediate failure' should you pick it. Naturally, your task is to choose the correct one."

"So this is just a test of luck?" the son of Hokage asked, to which the kunoichi let out a sigh: "_And they say there are no stupid questions_" she shook her head at her comrade's lack of perception.

"Of course not" Iruka remained patient, smiling towards the teen. "You do get help... for Tai and Kai here. Now, they both know which door is which, so all you need to do is ask them about it... however, I should warn you, that while Tai is honest to the core, Kai is a pathological liar and will always answer untruthfully. To that end, you should pay heed to whatever words come out of their mouths."

"Okay" Toramaru nodded with understanding. "So who's who?"

"That I'm not gonna tell you" the chuunin responded immediately with an evil smirk. "Furthermore, be advised that you're allowed to ask them only one question... that is one question for both of them. Once you use it, they'll both disappear. If you'll try asking a different question to either, the result will be the same."

"_So I can't just ask how much is one plus one to determine which of them is Kai_" the white-eyed teen instantly analyzed. "_I'll just waste my only question that way._"

"According to my clock, you have about five minutes to clear this test, else you fail the exam" Iruka continued with a calm voice, putting extra pressure on the boy. "Thus I encourage you to think of a way to pick a door quickly... oh, and one, last thing – if you'll attempt to chance it by choosing a door randomly, they'll both lead to disqualification. Genjustu barrier placed on the one leading to the roof will only disappear after the Kai and Tai does..."

"That isn't fair!" Naraku snapped, pointing at the scar-faced ninja. "What does this has to do with a chuunin quality? What is this challenge suppose to prove, Iruka-sensei? If we can't use our strengths to beat it, then what is the point? A real ninja would never place restrains on himself!"

The man remained neutral to the outburst, even as he replied with a stoic voice: "You don't always get to use your full potential on a mission... plus using your techniques is not always the best way to achieve your goal. First and foremost this is a test of your intelligence... however, other capabilities are graded as well" he announced, making the young Uchiha give him a quizzical look. "Let me paint you a clearer picture then – imagine you're on a mission to destroy the bridge guarded by enemy shinobi. You know nothing of their power, numbers nor traps they set. The most efficient way to gather these information is interrogation of your adversary. But, rest assured, that your opponents will not willingly give you the answer..."

"Indeed" Buryaku nodded with a serious expression. "That's why genjutsu exists..."

"Yes, but some show great resistance to illusions" Iruka countered, stone-faced. "Often, in stead of torture and treat, a less violent approach is better suited. Once you've lived through enough, you'll learn that sometimes it's not about how you ask... but what you ask..."

"Then, basically, this is about asking the right question?" the white-eyed boy concluded, receiving a nod from the man. Shifting his gaze at the two phantoms, he narrowed his eyes, weighting his options: "_I can't just ask 'which door leads to the roof', coz that will give me nothing and I can't waste my question to determine who's the liar and who's honest... the only way to pass this is __choosing a question about the doors which will make both of them point towards the same one, labeling it... but what the hell am I supposed to ask to get THAT outcome?_"

"Any ideas, Buryaku?" Naraku whispered to his teammate, completely clueless himself. The kunoichi had a worried look on her face as her eyes narrowed: "Not particularly... of course, I can figure out what sort of outcome the right question should give, but defining the exact question to achieve that answer is a whole, other story; one thing is certain – it cannot be a straight-forward one..."

"Clock is ticking" Iruka reminded Toramaru, making the boy sweat even more. His mind was in chaos, trying to find the words he needed to use, but he got nothing: "_A liar and truth-teller... what can they, possibly, have in common that_" he began as his eyes widen at realization. Shocked at the stroke of genius, he turned to the phantom on the left, unsure of the words that left his mouth: "If I asked your look-alike 'which doors lead to the roof'... which door would he point out?"

Slowly the man presented him the doors on the boy's left, making the blond nod. Then, he shifted his gaze towards the other phantom, taking a deep breath before asking the same question: "And if I asked your look-alike 'which doors lead to towards the roof', where would he point?"

Mimicking the other phantom, the man pointed to the young gennin's left just before the duo vanished: "Doors leading towards failure" Toramaru concluded, turning towards the chuunin: "I choose the doors on my right, Iruka-sensei."

The Academy teacher smirked under his nose as he stepped aside: "Congratulations then – you passed the test. I must say I'm amazed; didn't expect Naruto's kid to figure this out that fast" he teased with a warm smile. "I'd like to purpose a celebration, but you're short on time, so best you get going immediately" he urged, making the trio rush through the door.

As the raced towards the top, Naraku asked the obvious question, still confused over the outcome: "I don't get it – how did you determined which doors to take?"

"It's actually quite interesting" Buryaku responded with a smile, giving the other blond an approving glance. "By asking that, very question, Toramaru received the answer he needed; if he just asked which doors lead to the roof, each phantom would point to a different one... but asking about the answer their counterpart would give, he got the result required... think about it – asked 'which door would the other phantom point to when asked about the one leading to the top', the honest one would naturally show the one labeled 'failure', since that is the door the fake would support. But, if you ask the liar the same thing, he'd point to the one leading to failure as well, because that answer was a lie..."

"Thus, the doors they pointed to, was the wrong one" Toramaru finished, his face indifferent, yet inside he was having a little love-fest for himself. But the test was not over yet – they still had to reach the roof and as they came before the exit, they dashed through, into another unknown...

_**-another door broken... and beyond?-**_

And so this chapter ends; sure hope you enjoyed it, coz thinking up all those tests for the tower (despite only three) was quite a bother, let me tell you; particularly Buryaku's part ^^'

Originally, the events of this chapter were supposed to be stretched over two installments, but I figured that'll drag the story too much so I, essentially, shorten each of the challenged and fitted them all into this one. I realize it may feel rushed due to that, but I'd like to think the story benefited from it (seriously, I cannot imagine Buryaku's trial to be captivating in its original length and I don't think Toramaru would've been either).; the biggest downside to it is that Naraku's part got cut and that left me feeling that I haven't elaborated on the 'evenly-matched' aspect enough. Oh well...

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (the redhead girl with a black cat, Kuroki), Gaki Nayamasu (the muscular boy), Gai Rock (the boy with a bowl-like haircut)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (the girl with a crush on Toramaru), Choumaru Akimichi (the chubby boy), Gitou Hisakata (the coughing boy)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Konoha (Sai):**_ Madoka Garasu (the girl with gems), Kouhai Shimura (Danzou's cousin), Monuke (the pale-skinned boy)

_**Suna #1 (Mashino):**_ ? (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_ Sabaku no Hakachi (the girl with the gourd), ? (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

_**Kumo (?):**_ Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-folded boy)

_**Ame (?):**_ ? (the kimono wearing girl), Shunsai Irezumi (the tattooed boy), ? (the boy with a headgear)

_**Kane (?):**_ Moroha Gengetsu (the girl with a crescent-moon blade), Toukai Kurogane (the violet-haired boy), Kousotsu (the armored boy)

_**Kusa (?):**_ Hana Makiba (girl in a yellow kimono), Kouba Ibara (the boy in worn-out clothes), Nekkei Utsuru (the sick boy)

_**Taki (?):**_ Kitou (the girl with a praying stick), ? (the boy with a large scroll), Sayoku (the boy with bandaged mouth and a hawk, Takamu)

_**Yuki (?):**_ Orafu Futotta (the fat guy with the shield), Erikku Hakabakashi (the redhead), Balegu Seiretsu (the swordsman)

_**Sawa (?):**_ ? (the girl with the pipe), Kawaridane (the double-pupil teen), ? (the black-skinned teen with drums)

Before wrapping this up, I'd like to wish you all _**HAPPY EASTER**_ (since I won't manage to update before the holidays). Have a great time with your family and return with new energy to read this piece afterwards ;)

Take care and until next time!


	25. The Third Exam

Wow, this certainly took a lot longer then I've anticipated it would, especially considering the content of this chapter. I apologize for being this late, but my life has VERY successfully distracted me from writing over the last month. No point in going into details; suffice to say it wasn't pretty.

Thanks for keeping an eye out for this tale; hope you'll find this chapter worth waiting for. True, it may not be grand, but from this point on you'll get plenty of action and character development, so... plus, you get the results of the CHARACTER POPULARITY POLL with this chapter :)

With that, lets move on to the installment itself:

**Chapter #25: The Third Exam**

_**Title Page:**_ Shunrai at, what appears to be, a subway station is leaning against the wall, reading a book and awaiting the arrival of her train

"We were getting worried you three ain't gonna make it" Garou announced as Toramaru, Naraku and Buryaku panted heavily after their dash towards the roof. "Seriously, you guys need to stop cutting it that close, otherwise, at some point, you will fail" he added, making Hanomaru nod slightly in agreement.

"Frankly, it's a wonder these losers made it this far" Gaki mocked with a smirk, making the son of Hokage narrow his white eyes as he glanced at his former classmate. Meanwhile Buryaku scanned her surroundings, ignoring the taunt for most part – all Konoha rookies were still there, as was Monuke and his team. She could also see familiar teams from other villages, particularly worrying the ones from Kumo and Sawa: "_Forty one squad left... damn, so many..._"

Just then another trap door opened, letting in a cell from Kusa, one they all got recently acquainted with; gaining everyone's attention, Kouba scratched the back of his head, embarrassed, as he waved 'hello' to all that turned their attention towards the three.

"See, this is what happens when you slow us down, Nekkei-kun" Hana said accusingly, while her teammate coughed lightly before whipping his mouth. A few moments later Ino walked to the center of the roof, rising her voice so that everyone could hear her: "With this, the three hours of the last squad to enter the tower is up and so... congratulations to you all for passing the second phase of the Chuunin Selection Exam!"

Some of the gennin cheered at their own success, yet most were too tired or composed to join in; others knew much harder tests laid in wait and, apparently, the proctor decided to confirm their worries: "Your third challenge will begin immediately... as soon as your transportation to the spot arrives."

"Transportation?" Akemi repeated, somewhat suspiciously.

"Well, you don't think we can have an exam in such a confide space, do you?" Ino replied, extending her hands to show the square-shaped top of the roof, which towered over the clouds; while, by standard means, it wasn't small, certainly housing over a hundred and twenty people left little room for anything. The jounin smirked at her understanding and then shifted her head to the skies: "And it looks like your carriages arrive" she added as a buzzing sound flied the air.

Immediately everyone glanced up to see a black cloud heading their way. As moments pasted, the cloud grew bigger, only to have the young ninja realize what was coming was a swarm of dragonflies... ridiculously large dragonflies.

The bugs slowly settled on the roof and bent their thin legs, almost laying on the surface. Most people looked confused at the fact, unsure what to do. Luckily, Ino grew tired of that: "Well, what are you brats waiting for? Hop on already!" she commanded. Some of the gennin complied instantly, not bothered by the unusual occurrence; others required a minute to have the information sink in. Eventually, however, all youngsters got aboard the flying insects, which took to the air, taking them to a new location: "_Good luck, Choumaru_" the blonde jounin thought to herself as she watched them disappear below the clouds: "_From here on, the play gets though..._"

"I cannot believe we're riding on some, stinking bug" Gouka complained as the swarm descended, pushing through the clouds. Kumo, who was sitting right before her, while Garou and Hanomaru located themselves near the creature's head, spoke up in his usual, monotone manner, not even bothering to face his teammate: "Dragonflies are known for their mobility and size, at least by insect standards; if we are to travel via an inhabitant of a microworld, they do seem like the best choice."

"Okay" the young kunoichi replied, still disgusted. "And why do we have to travel via an inhabitant of the microworld?" she asked mockingly, annoyed at the premise. Meanwhile the swarm made it through the clouds, giving all gennin a bird view of Konoha; some of them gasped at the sight, others looked a little scared; Naraku couldn't help by owe the view as the buildings slowly grew, allowing the Hokage Monument to tower over the landscape.

The insects zoomed over the rooftops, making wind clash against their passengers' faces as they slalomed between towers and trees, leading the group further east. Eventually the buildings became scarce, with water spreading over the ground and an unpleasant stench hitting their noses.

Finally the swarm settled on a relatively dry ground, though the instant Gai jumped off his dragonfly, his sandals sunk a little, staining his feet with mud. Some of the kunoichi and even boys let out a 'yuck' sound; their discomfort reached the point that they got frustrated at the departure of the bugs, who left them at the gates, leading to a secured area, surrounded by steel railing.

Before the group stood a lone figure of a man, clad in a green overcoat with a hood, that was pushed over his head; a high collar hid his mouth, while a pair of large shades covered his eyes, making his features unrecognizable, aside from the Leaf hitae-ate on the forehead:" Greetings" the jounin spoke in a monotone Garou found annoyingly familiar. "I am Aburame Shino, your proctor for the third exam."

"This is so unfair" Shimiru whined at the news, hanging his head. "First it was Choumaru and now Kumo gets his parent overlooking the exam... how come we don't get breaks like that?" he over-dramatized, making Jun sweat drop at the statement: "Hitomi's father was the proctor of the first test" he reminded the skateboarder calmly.

"Yeah, a lot of good that did us, with Neji-san being a robot and all..."

"How is being a robot any different from Hasaki-sensei?" Hitomi asked, managing to keep an indifferent look, despite her parent getting insulted. "Plus, do you truly believe an Aburame will be any better in that regard?" she questioned, glancing at the blond.

The boy with piercings took a quick gaze at the jounin before them and then twisted his mouth, shifting his eyes to the side: "Point taken..."

"I assume most of you are wondering what this place is" the man named Shino went on as the young gennin gathered around him. "But do not worry, I shall explain that. Why? Because this is the place of your, next test; training area number 31, also called Swamp of Sorrows."

"A catchy name" Kouhai noted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "First it was Tower of Terror, now this... since when has it become cool to use double alliteration?" he asked rhetorically, yet the proctor either didn't hear him or choose to ignore the boy as he went on in his emotionless tone: "As you all signed your agreement forms beforehand, doing so now is not needed, however I advice you listen carefully to the rules of this test. Why? Because this one is going to be much more demanding then your previous challenges."

"How's so?" Toramaru asked curiously, rising his eyebrow to empathize his point.

"Well, for starters, undoubtfully there will be deaths during this exam" Shino explained simply, making some of the young shinobi freeze at his words. Shunrai felt a cold shiver run down her spine as the jounin's statement sink in, forcing her body to shake without her will: "_Deaths?_" she repeated in her mind.

"In simple terms, you may call this an ultimate survival test" the head of the Aburame went on, still keeping any trace of emotion in check as his hand traveled to his pocket. A moment later, a small map appeared in his grip, unraveled from a scroll, showing a roughly round area. "Let me begin with a little information about the place itself; there are preciously fifty entrance gates leading into the swamp; from each of these gates, the distance to the center is, more or less, twelve kilometers. Naturally, reaching the center, which is an old stronghold used as a line of defense in Konoha early days, will be the goal of this exam."

"Not particularly challenging so far" the black-skinned swamp-nin with drums announced confidently, showing a bored expression, while his teammates remained still, though uninterested. Certainly, with the geographic placement of their village, this sort of terrain was advantageous for them.

"Well, reaching the stronghold is not the only requirement you need to fulfill to pass" Shino responded in a similar manner, hiding the map, while his other arm grabbed a pair of scrolls – one white and the other black: "You will be competing against each other in an all-out battle, in which any technique and weapon is allowed."

"What sort of battle?" Balegu asked, mildly curious.

"For years, this part of the exam was referred to as Battle for the Scrolls" the jounin replied calmly. "There are currently forty-two teams; half of them will receive the Heaven scroll" he stated, holding the white one out front. "And the other half shall be given the Earth scroll. Your task will be to bring both of these scrolls to the stronghold."

"So, basically, only twenty one squads will make it through this test" Akumo made a quick calculation, readjusting his glasses, yet the proctor corrected him immediately: "At best; why? Because there's a time limit – you only get five days to reach the stronghold. Fail to do so will result in ending your participation in this event."

"Wait a second" Choumaru raised his hand, concern written all over his face. "Five days? What are we supposed to eat in that time? I doubt anyone packed that much provisions" he added. True, he was generally just worried over missing lunch, but showed enough dignity to hide that fact, unlike his father all those years ago.

"The swamp can provide you with the food you need" the bug master replied matter-of-factly. "Of course you should be wary that some plants are poisonous and others even eat meat themselves. The conditions are quite extreme, so aside from other squads, you'll need to watch out for beasts, quicksands, dangerous insects and the like; be advised that it is impossible for half the teams to make it through this challenge."

"I'm gonna enjoy this" Toukai stated with an evil smirk.

"Now, allow me to inform you what disqualifies the squad" Shino went on. "Besides failure to deliver both scrolls to the stronghold within time limit, anyone whose teammates are incapable of continuing the struggle will not be allowed to take part in the next exam either; there is also no quitting – if you enter the swamp, you will spent there five days, unless you will manage to obtain the scrolls and reach the stronghold; if that happens, you are allowed to wait within its walls until the time limit expires."

"I'll get bored out of my ass waiting for all the losers to gather" Erikku whined as he gave a quick glance towards Toramaru and his team. The blond boy let out a growl as his eye twitched, yet said nothing in response.

"There is one, final rule" the jounin spoke again, probably sensing the tension, even though he did not show it. "The scrolls must remain untouched until you reach the stronghold."

"Why's that?" Naraku asked suspiciously.

"That is information on a 'need to know' basis and you do not" Shino answered in an annoying manner. "As chuunin, there is a possibility that you'll be entrusted with classified documents; in these circumstances trust in very important. Aside from your survival skills, this exam also grades you on your ability to follow directives. As ninja, you are often forced to act without knowing the full scope of the situation; shinobi should not question his or hers motives, since they are, first and foremost, a tool to their village. Your loyalty is a key aspect, which determines whether you are suited for such life or not."

"_Damn, they really are making a throughout test of our character and skills in this_" Akai mellowed somewhat, getting nervous. "_Acting carefree and open is definitely not gonna cut it..._"

"If there aren't any questions, I ask that those who wish to proceed to the exam enter this booth behind me" the head of the Aburame pointed towards a small, square structure near the training area walls, which insides were completely covered by drapes. "Each team will enter the booth alone to receive their scroll, after which you will be escorted to your entrance gate by a chuunin. On my signal, the exam will officially begin."

"_I see_" Buryaku nodded to herself as the first squad walked into the booth. "_We won't know which team received which scroll nor who'll be carrying it. Also, in order to pass, some sort of confrontation with another cell is unavoidable, even if you're good at sneaking around. And, being given this many chances to back down, everyone who'll participate must be confident in their decision, meaning they will not hesitate to go the distance in clearing this test. This is gonna be beyond troublesome... everyone's an enemy!_"

**Gate #2: Makiba Hana, Ibara Kouba and Utsuru Nekkei**

"Dammit, why did it had to be swamp?" Hana whined, doing her best to keep the bottom of her kimono away from the muddy surface. "This is seriously gonna leave a stain! Kouba-kun, I'll be counting on you to keep me clean!" she proclaimed, making her teammate sweat drop, while Nekkei coughed violently.

"_Those are gonna be five, very looooong days_" the boy in worn-out clothes thought to himself with a sigh.

**Gate #5: Kitou, Noroi, Sayoku and Takamu**

"I advice you not waste our provisions so casually, Sayoku" the waterfall-nin with the large scroll spoke in a warning manner, without even looking at his teammate, who stood behind him, feeding his hawk a small piece of meat. "We will not be handing out extra rations throughout the test."

**Gate #11: Shuri, Kawaridane and Taiko**

"This should be a walk in the park for us" the Sawa kunoichi stated with a smirk before throwing Kawaridane a worried look. "_If we'll manage to keep him in check, that is..._"

**Gate #17: Sabaku no Hakachi, Bunraku and Fuugo**

"_This isn't a big deal_" the sand-nin with the headgear assured himself, calmly awaiting the signal. "_But knowing Hakachi, there'll be no living with her if we won't reach that freaking stronghold fast enough_" he told himself and then glanced at Fuugo. Despite the latter wearing a mask, the boy could easily tell his teammate was aware of that fact as well.

**Gate #18: Futotta Orafu, Hakabakashi Erikku and Seiretsu Balegu**

"So, who should we play with first?" Orafu asked with a smirk as he adjusted his visor, scanning all squads in the vicinity, while Erikku cracked his knuckles. Balegu remained indifferent to the question, calmly observing the gate as he was anxious to enter the battle.

**Gate #20: Uchiha Gouka, Aburame Kumo and Inuzuka Garou**

"Survival is our thing!" Garou cheered, tightening his fists from excitement. "We are so gonna rule this one!" he claimed as Hanomaru barked in agreement. Kumo, per usual, gave no indication he had any thoughts concerning the ordeal, while Gouka merely rolled her eyes.

**Gate #23: Fuzakeru Muchi, Irezumi Shunsai and Kiganai Henpuku**

"The terrain should be somewhat advantageous for us" the rain-nin with a headgear stated, readjusting his hat. "I suggest we make the best of it and show all the losers just how dangerous we truly are."

"Patience, Henpuku" the boy with tattoos, Shunsai, responded, keeping his eyes on the gates. "The exams are far from over and we must tread carefully, so as to not reveal too much before the time is right..."

**Gate #27: Nekko Hinako, Nayamasu Gaki and Rock Gai**

Kuroki climbed on top of Hinako's head, visibly disturbed as their squad awaited the signal. Gai gave the kunoichi a puzzled look, but the redhead quickly explained: "Cats don't particularly like water" she stated, making the boy nod in understanding. Gaki, on the other hand, only let out a frown: "_Guess it'll be up to me to get the job done..._"

**Gate #29: Gengetsu Moroha, Kurogane Toukai and Kousotsu**

"Guess luck is on our side, getting placed so close to those leaf-nins from the other day" Moroha nodded with a smile, glancing at Lee's students. "Shall we finish what we've started earlier, Toukai-kun?" she asked the violet-haired teen, but the boy merely followed her gaze without a word.

**Gate #31: Kakeme Juryoku, Makaze Fukaru and Mekakushi Aitou**

"So, Aitou, who are we going after first?" Juryoku asked with a smirk, while her teammate remained indifferent. "Any of those, white-eyed freaks have what we need?" she questioned, this time making the blind-folded boy twitch slightly. Luckily, before the situation could escalate, Fukaru decided to step in:

"Juryoku-chan, that is enough; we are not here to cause a rift between ourselves. We'll follow Aitou-san's lead and plan as we move along. There's no point in going after those of Hyuuga heritage in this, particular setting, since they'll spot us a mile away... isn't that right?" with this he turned to his other companion, but even now the final cloud-nin remained silent.

**Gate #36: Nekata Akemi, Kagami Akai and Megane Akumo**

"Using one's surroundings may prove of key importance in here" Akumo noted, adjusting his glasses. "Think you'll manage, Akemi?" he asked the kunoichi, to which the green-haired girl took a deep breath before nodding.

**Gate #39: Shunrai, Akimichi Choumaru and Hisakata Gitou**

"_Toramaru-kun, I'll do my best!_" Shunrai convinced herself firmly, yet her body still shook without her will. Choumaru didn't noticed, being depressed over the 'five days without food' thing, yet Gitou couldn't help but worry over the young kunoichi.

**Gate #42: Hyuuga Hitomi, Abunage Shimiru and Hatake Jun**

"_There is no way I'll be losing to the Main Family_" Hitomi stated, shifting her Byakugan towards Toramaru and his squad, who were located relatively close by. Little she didn't took note of was the fact others were interested in that, particular cell as well...

**Gate #44: Tetsu, Sabaku no Shikyo and Kobura**

Kobura licked his lips as excitement swept over his body: "_This'll be fun_" he believed, while Shikyo cracked his neck. Their female teammate gave the two a worried look, sensing what was coming: "_This is certainly NOT going to be fun..._"

**Gate #47: Nara Buryaku, Uchiha Naraku and Uzumaki Toramaru**

"Just come already!" the blond yelled, eager for the test to begin. "We'll beat all of you senseless!"

**Gate #50: Garasu Madoka, Shimura Kouhai and Monuke**

"This may be a bit much" Monuke stated with an uncomfortable smile as he scratched the back of his head. Meanwhile, Kouhai was not convinced at all by the display: "_This exam gives a great opportunity for anyone who has such desires; I can't allow my mission to go awry; the final act is __slowly coming into play – screw-up now is not an option!_"

The last, couple of teams arrived at their gates and everyone waited for the doors to open, some more patiently then others; this was their ultimate proving ground, this was where their first, real battle would take place, for some of them anyway. As soon as their way was cleared, the youths dashed right into the dark, gruesome swamp to a face-off of a lifetime.

Toramaru and Naraku were no different from the bunch, yet Buryaku found it more efficient to actually devise some plan and, once the boys noted she fell behind, they stopped, giving her puzzled looks.

"Buryaku, what the heck?" the white-eyed gennin demanded as the kunoichi slowly headed their way, not rushing at all. "We need to find some, other team and grab the scroll! The sooner we do that, the more time we'll have to prepare for the next exam!"

"While that is, most assuredly, true, going in blindly into unknown territory against enemies you know little of is suicide" the girl responded calmly, making both her comrades exchange glances. It was painful to admit, but despite everything that happened to them until now, they had not thought of that. "Our encounter with those swamp-nins in the first test should've shown you that if we're not careful, we're greatly outmatched. Chances are there's a whole bunch of people as strong as those Sawa guys and we know for a fact that Kumo trio or those Snow freaks are not to be taken lightly. Who knows what, other monsters lurked around the contestants?"

"Okay, what do you purpose then?" Naraku asked, managing to calm himself.

"First we need to make preparations" the blonde replied immediately. "We have five days to complete this exam, there's no point in rushing it; the first, three days should give us plenty of opportunities to grab the scroll we need and we won't really benefit from trying to clear this test ASAP. I suggest we handle food and arrange things for possible trouble like getting split up. After all, with Toramaru's eyes, we've got an edge most people don't..."

But even as she said so, none of them were aware that they were being watched by another group of three, each decorated with a headband donning an hourglass:

"Heh, Leaf brats who want to play ninja" whispered the first member of the team, a boy with medium-length, spiky, dark orange hair and shining, teal eyes, which he set of the Konoha trio. His attire was made of a red t-shirt, a brown unbuttoned vest on top of that and gray pants with black, military pattern. With the hitae-ate in its rightful place, he acted as the leader of the squad. "Easy enough prey..."

"Lets not get ahead of ourselves, Homura-san" purposed the second sand-nin, a girl with long, brown hair, clipped in a ponytail and green eyes. Carrying two Fuuma Shuriken on her back, her wardrobe was, for most part, a tight, light-blue outfit with fingerless gloves and high, enforced boots. "That blond one seems like a Hyuuga, we should be careful."

"Like that matters with Homura's abilities" the last of the Suna gennin, a boy with spiky, black hair and red eyes shoot back, smirking wickedly. He wore a loose, green attire with several spears attached to his back and a pair at the belt, one at each hip. His skin covered in tiny cuts, he gave the most unpleasant look of the three. "We don't even need to do anything, Bifuu; he can handle them on his own."

"We'll observe them for a short while" the one called Homura stated in an ordering manner, almost as if he paid no heed to his comrades' words. "See if we can figure out anything about those brats. If we don't... we'll just eradicate them the old-fashioned way..."

_**-new enemies... who are these guys?-**_

And that would conclude this chapter.

And 'yes', Homura and his gang were planned to appear in the story from the beginning, only I didn't had a good way to introduce them earlier, so they make their debut now (plus I promised no, new characters will be appearing before the popularity poll results... a promise I already broke by shortening the second exam into one chapter and thus providing you with Takashi's character, who was only mentioned in the Academy years). They're added to the gennin list, of course.

_**Konoha #1 (Teigo Kinuta):**_ Buryaku Nara, Naraku Uchiha, Toramaru Uzumaki

_**Konoha #2 (Lee Rock):**_ Hinako Nekko (the redhead girl with a black cat, Kuroki), Gaki Nayamasu (the muscular boy), Gai Rock (the boy with a bowl-like haircut)

_**Konoha #3 (Shikamaru Nara):**_ Shunrai (the girl with a crush on Toramaru), Choumaru Akimichi (the chubby boy), Gitou Hisakata (the coughing boy)

_**Konoha #4 (Hinata Uzumaki):**_ Gouka Uchiha (Naraku's twin sister), Kumo Aburame (the boy in green overcoat), Garou Inuzuka (the boy with the dog, Hanomaru)

_**Konoha #5 (Hasaki Kinzoku):**_ Hitomi Hyuuga (white-eyed girl), Jun Hatake (the masked teen), Shimiru Abunage (the blond with piercings and a skateboard)

_**Konoha #6 (Hiyoko Shinku):**_ Akemi Nekata (green-haired girl), Akai Kagami (the redhead), Akumo Megane (the boy with glasses)

_**Konoha (Sai):**_ Madoka Garasu (the girl with gems), Kouhai Shimura (Danzou's cousin), Monuke (the pale-skinned boy)

_**Suna #1 (Mashino):**_ Tetsu (girl with metal protectors), Kobura (the boy in black), Sabaku no Shikyo (the boy with the gourd)

_**Suna #2 (Kankuro):**_ Sabaku no Hakachi (the girl with the gourd), Bunraku (the boy with a headgear and scrolls), Fuugo (the masked pipsqueak)

_**Suna #3 (?):**_ Bifuu (the girl with Fuuma Shuriken on her back), ? (the boy with spears), Homura (the orange-haired boy)

_**Kumo (?):**_ Juryoku Kakeme (the blue-haired girl), Fukaru Makaze (the blond boy), Aitou Mekakushi (the blind-folded boy)

_**Ame (?):**_ Muchi Fuzakeru (the kimono wearing girl), Shunsai Irezumi (the tattooed boy), Henpuku Kiganai (the boy with a headgear)

_**Kane (?):**_ Moroha Gengetsu (the girl with a crescent-moon blade), Toukai Kurogane (the violet-haired boy), Kousotsu (the armored boy)

_**Kusa (?):**_ Hana Makiba (girl in a yellow kimono), Kouba Ibara (the boy in worn-out clothes), Nekkei Utsuru (the sick boy)

_**Taki (?):**_ Kitou (the girl with a praying stick), Noroi (the boy with a large scroll), Sayoku (the boy with bandaged mouth and a hawk, Takamu)

_**Yuki (?):**_ Orafu Futotta (the fat guy with the shield), Erikku Hakabakashi (the redhead), Balegu Seiretsu (the swordsman)

_**Sawa (?):**_ Shuri (the girl with the pipe), Kawaridane (the double-pupil teen), Taiko (the black-skinned teen with drums)

Now the last order of business is to give you the results of the popularity poll. With this the contest has been closed (at least till its second edition) and the table is as follows (the first number in bracket is the amount of votes the character received, after that are 'voting points')...

_Toramaru:_ hang on, how come you do this so unceremoniously? This is important stuff, dammit!

_Shang:_ Oh what fresh hell is this? What in the world are you doing here anyway, shouldn't you be at the Swamp of Sorrows, getting your ass handed to you by a bunch of other gennin or something?

_Toramaru:_ No way, bozo! I'm here specifically coz I knew you were gonna screw this up!

_Shang:_ Screw what up?

_Toramaru:_ Popularity Poll results! Here, let me show you how it's done! Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to present you the winners of "Those Who Inherit the Will of Fire"... shit, this title really is a mouthful... first ever Character Popularity Poll!

Naraku Uchiha (4/17) – what the... him? No way I'm believing this! I smell a rat!

Shunrai (3/13) – okay, she's kinda cute, so THAT I can believe...

Buryaku Nara (3/13) – you've gotta be kidding me! The lazy bump? Seriously? What is wrong with you people?!

Garou Inuzuka (3/9) – even dog-breath's ahead of me? That's it, someone tempered with those results! I'm sure of it!

Toramaru Uzumaki (2/10) – oh, NOW I'm listed... you know what : why don't you guys just kiss me big, hairy...

_Shang:_ Ekhem... why don't I just cut him off here and proceed with the list without the commentary?

Teigo Kinuta (2/8)

Gitou Hisakata (2/7)

Madoka Garasu (2/6)

Aitou Mekakushi (2/4)

Shimiru Abunage (1/5)

Kawaridane (¼)

Naruto Uzumaki (1/3)

Fukaru Makaze (1/3)

Akemi Nekata (1/3)

Hinako Nekko (1/3)

Gaki Nayamasu (½)

Akumo Megane (½)

Sabaku no Hakachi (½)

Orochimaru (1/1)

Toukai Kurogane (1/1)

Kousotsu (1/1)

Gouka Uchiha (1/1)

Hitomi Hyuuga (1/1)

Emisu Nekko (1/1)

I must admit some of these results did came as a bit of a surprise for me; while I didn't expect Toramaru to win the poll, I'm somewhat disappointed Teigo scored "so low" - personally I find him as one of the more interesting character in the story. On another, surprising note, Madoka, who had like three-four mentions altogether managed to beat characters that, in my opinion, stand out from the crowd, such as Shimiru or Hinako, for example.

More surprising is that Gaki received a vote... I mean – he's an ass :D Didn't saw that one coming at all and I feel sorta bad that some of the other characters got squat (Kumo, Gai, Monuke, Akai, Jun). Overall I am shocked, but at least I know who to elaborate a bit more on.

Few things aren't that big a surprise for me though and while it is a bit sad that merely 24 characters got into the poll, here's hoping that, by the time the second one takes places, the list will be wider ;)

Thanks to everyone who sacrificed their time to take the vote and who will review this chapter as well. Take care and until next time!


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